Boris Johnson made “the choice he thought was best” in appointing Chris Pincher to the government and was “not aware of specific allegations” about the Tory MP, a cabinet minister has insisted.
Speaking to Sophie Ridge on Sky News’ Sunday programme, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey also dismissed the idea that there was a “problem with Tory men” following a string of sexual misconduct scandals.
Meanwhile, Labor has stepped up pressure on the prime minister over the latest row, claiming the ruling party “repeatedly chooses to do what is politically expedient over what is right”.
Mr Pincher resigned as deputy leader of the Conservative Party after he was accused of drunkenly driving two men at a private members’ club in London this week.
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Mr Johnson only bowed to demands to remove the whip from his ally, meaning he will now sit in the House of Commons as an independent after a formal inquiry was launched.
The prime minister faced questions about how much he knew about Mr Pincher’s behavior when he made him deputy chief whip in February.
Former councilor Dominic Cummings said Mr Johnson had referred to the MP “mockingly in No 10 as ‘Pincher by name, pincher by nature’ long before he appointed him”.
Fresh allegations emerged about Mr Pincher’s behavior as the Tamworth MP said he was seeking “professional medical support” and hoped to return to represent his Staffordshire constituents “as soon as possible”.
Defending Mr Pincher’s appointment, Ms Coffey said: “I think the Prime Minister made the choice that she thought was in the best interests of the government to help carry out government business.
“I am aware that the Prime Minister was not aware of specific allegations that were made,” she added.
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Asked if there was a problem with Tory men in parliament after a string of controversies, Ms Coffey said: “I don’t think that’s the case at all.”
On the culture at Westminster, she said: “We have to be professional.
“There are various situations that happen where people have been unprofessional and unpleasant and that needs to be resolved.
“I’m very much in favor of dealing with these things firmly.
“We need to keep trying to encourage people to come forward and go to the police if they think a crime has been committed.
“No one in this regard should feel that there is any protection that there isn’t.
“We must continue to try to ensure that we have the highest standards of behaviour, particularly at the Palace of Westminster.
But shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told the Ridge: “I think we have to recognize what the consistent problem is and that is the Conservative Party repeatedly choosing to do what is politically expedient over what is right.
“From what we know this morning, it is clear that Chris Pincher should never have been brought back into the whips’ office.”
Mr Reynolds was reminded of former Labor MPs accused of sexual misconduct and told his party was not “squeak clean”.
He replied: “As well as being shadow business secretary, I am a member of the national executive committee of the Labor Party – I have the humility to know, yes, we have problems, I am often the person who has to answer and deal with them.
“But I can tell you what we don’t have is what I see in the Conservative Party, which is the repeated decision to make the wrong decision if it’s in whatever short-term interest they think they have.”
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