Today, a charity fundraiser alleged that disgraced Tory MP Chris Pincher gave him the “come on,” grabbed his thigh and bottom, and complimented his “muscles” and “stamina” when they posed for the photo below.
Mark Dabbs, a straight man, claimed that as he was raising money for their community hospice in Tamworth, Staffordshire, the Conservative started making sexual remarks and then started groping him.
He claimed: “When we took a picture, he touched me and felt my bottom. He was assisting me in my charitable endeavors, and I believe he believed he would receive something in return.
His allegations did not surface until after the Tory MP was forced to resign from his position as deputy chief whip to Boris Johnson last week after drunkenly molesting two men in a London members-only bar.
Given the claim that Mr. Johnson made the joke in 2020 that he was “Pincher by name, Pincher by nature,” long before he was appointed his deputy chief whip in February, the Prime Minister is under intense pressure to explain what he knew about his MP’s behavior.
Mr. Dabbs, an employee of the NHS, is the seventh individual to accuse Pincher of acting inappropriately, and on this occasion, Pincher was “stone-cold sober” during the meeting in 2018.
He said: ‘He waited until we were alone and then said some inappropriate things. He said how tall and slim I was, then wanted to know if I had a partner. I said I was a runner. And quick as a flash he replied, “Oh, that’s why you’re so slim”. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he said, ‘I bet you’ve got stamina’.
‘Then he said to me, “I bet you have strong legs” before starting feeling the top of my thighs. He said I was very muscly. I thought it was all very strange. He was very suggestive. It was vile. I was shocked that an MP would behave in this way.’
MailOnline has asked Mr Pincher to comment.
According to Mr. Dabbs’ account in The Sun, Pincher was approached to see if he would agree to an interview for a book that he was writing to generate money for a hospice.
‘I’m not naïve and know when someone is interested. This was someone giving the “come on”.’
A teenage Tory activist who accused Chris Pincher of molesting him last night said he intended to speak to police.
The latest claimed victim has informed pals that he was “touched up” by Mr. Pincher in a car last year, adding to the six new allegations made against the Tamworth MP over the weekend.
According to acquaintances, the man, a constituency member who was attempting to gain a position in politics at the time, is so outraged by the quantity of claimed victims that he intends to “do something about it” and contact the authorities.
It comes as a second alleged victim from the constituency, also not previously known about, is said to have made claims against the former deputy chief whip.
Yesterday, members of Mr Pincher’s Conservative association and voters in Staffordshire called for the MP to stand down.
Mr Pincher, 52, quit as Tory deputy chief whip last week after he was accused of drunkenly groping two men at a private members’ club in London.
The Prime Minister eventually bowed to pressure to remove the whip from his ally after an investigation was launched, meaning Mr Pincher sits as an independent MP.
After several accusations from other alleged victims over the weekend, the Mail has learned that there are further claims from activists in his constituency.
As well as the man who claims he was groped in a car by the former senior Tory, a second alleged victim is said to have been groped by Mr Pincher some time ago.
An association member said: ‘One of the [alleged victims] is planning to go to the police. He was trying to get into politics and that’s how they knew each other.
‘He said last week that he was going to wait to see if anyone else reported similar incidents before going to the police. After seeing the multiple allegations this weekend, he said ‘I’m going to do something about it’. He is very annoyed. He said he couldn’t believe it was still happening.’
Mr Pincher stepped down on Thursday night after a drunken evening in London’s Carlton Club on Wednesday.
Speaking for the first time, one of the alleged victims at the club told The Sunday Times: ‘I had my drink in my hand and then he then went down and grabbed my arse and then slowly… moved his hand down the front of my groin. I froze a little bit and it ended after about two or three seconds. It was a very bizarre thing.’
The alleged victim excused himself and went to the bathroom.
He added: ‘I texted a friend to tell them what happened because I wanted a contemporaneous record.’ The man claimed he approached Sarah Dines, a junior whip, who had witnessed the alleged assault.
The alleged victim added: ‘My first reaction to what had happened was that I wasn’t going to take it any further. I just thought this is something that happens in Westminster. It hasn’t happened to me before. It can be quietly dealt with. But I am angered by the fact that I should feel like that, and even more angry by the way No 10 have dealt with it… I am furious.’
One local councillor in Tamworth said: ‘These stories about Chris’s behaviour weren’t particularly surprising to men within the constituency.’ Asked if a by-election should be held, the councillor, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It’s up to the electorate to voice their opinions. I have a view that he is not a fit and proper person to be an MP – he has admitted to some of this after all.’ But David Salter, another Tory councillor in the constituency, defended Mr Pincher, saying: ‘He’s a brilliant MP and I’ve known him for a long time… I would like him to carry on.’ Mr Pincher was approached for comment.