Former minister Crispin Blunt has acknowledged that he was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a rape allegation.
In a statement, the Reigate MP revealed that he had been interviewed by the police twice regarding the incident. He initially reported the incident to the police three weeks ago, expressing concerns about extortion.
Mr. Blunt is fully cooperating with Surrey Police's investigation and has confidence that he will not face charges. Following his arrest, he has been suspended as a Tory MP.
The Conservative Party removed Mr. Blunt's whip, effectively making him an independent MP, and he has been asked to stay away from Parliament.
Crispin Blunt was elected as the Conservative MP for Reigate in Surrey during the 1997 general election. He previously served as a justice minister from 2010 to 2012, worked in the whips office during the Conservative Party's time in opposition, and chaired the influential Foreign Affairs Committee.
In April, Mr. Blunt publicly apologized for defending former MP Imran Ahmad Khan, who had been convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage boy. He had initially called the verdict a "dreadful miscarriage of justice" in a statement but later retracted his comments. In May, Mr. Blunt announced that he would not seek re-election as an MP.
In his statement, Mr. Blunt stated: "It has been reported that an MP was arrested yesterday [25 October] in connection with an allegation of rape. I am confirming that MP was me.
"The fact of the arrest requires a formal notification of the Speaker and then my chief whip.
"I have now been interviewed twice in connection with this incident, the first time three weeks ago when I initially reported my concern over extortion.
"The second time was earlier this morning under caution following arrest. The arrest was unnecessary as I remain ready to cooperate fully with the investigation that I am confident will end without charge.
"I do not intend to say anything further on this matter until the police have completed their inquiries."
A police spokesman stated: "We can confirm a man in his 60s was arrested yesterday morning (25 October) in Horley, on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances. He has been released on conditional police bail pending further inquiries."
The Conservative Party declined to provide a comment.
This incident is the latest in a series of sexual misconduct allegations involving the party. Another Conservative MP in his 50s was arrested in May 2022 on suspicion of rape and is currently on bail until mid-February 2024 on allegations of sexual assault, abuse of a position of trust, and misconduct in a public office. Photo by Richard Townshend, Wikimedia commons.