'It was a living nightmare': Sacked Tory MP has whip restored after being cleared of 'serious misconduct'

3 December 2022, 13:39

Conor Burns has had the Tory whip restored
Conor Burns has had the Tory whip restored. Picture: Alamy

By Emma Soteriou

Former minister Conor Burns has had the Tory whip restored after being cleared of "serious misconduct" at the party conference in October.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

In a statement, the party said that after reviewing all the available evidence it had concluded there was "no basis on which to investigate further" and that the matter was closed.

Mr Burns was sacked as trade minister by Liz Truss and had the whip withdrawn following a complaint about his behaviour at the annual Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

It was reported that a witness had claimed to have seen him touching the thigh of a young man in a hotel bar.

The MP for Bournemouth West expressed relief at the finding.

He said he had been confident he would be cleared but that the past two months had been a "living nightmare" - particularly for his elderly parents.

He claimed he was caught in the “crossfire of the dying days” of Ms Truss’ government, with him being “thrown to the wolves”.

Read more: Conor Burns sacked from Government with ‘immediate effect’ after complaint of ‘serious misconduct’ at Tory conference

Read more: Mel B tells sacked Tory Conor Burns: ‘Let me remind you what you said in lift’

Speaking to his local paper, the Daily Echo, Mr Burns said: "I knew that I would come out the other side of this and my name would be clear because there was nothing to what had happened.

"I knew I was innocent and the truth will out and it has."

He said he believed he had been the victim of a "stitch up" because of complimentary remarks he made about Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch who was one of Ms Truss' rivals for the Tory leadership over the summer.

"I think this all had become more to do with nice things I had said about the Trade Secretary than about being up late at the conference," he said.

"It felt and smelt like a stitch up and that it what it was."

In a statement, a Conservative Party spokesman said: "The party received a complaint and investigated in line with its code of conduct.

"After undertaking appropriate inquiries and reviewing all of the evidence available to establish the facts, the party concluded that there was no basis on which to investigate further.

"The matter is now closed and Mr Burns's membership will be reinstated at the nearest possible opportunity."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Coleen Rooney said her husband Wayne has not been forgiven in the court of public opinion

Coleen Rooney opens up on Wayne's 'difficult' mistakes as she says he hasn't been forgiven in court of public opinion

Many of the victims were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel

Laos hostel owner arrested after Brit lawyer becomes fifth tourist to die in 'poisoning'

Holly Bowles, 19, from Melbourne, has died in the ‘methanol mass poisoning’

Sixth person dies in Laos ‘methanol mass poisoning’ as hostel owner detained by police

Exclusive
Feargal Sharkey tests the River Test with LBC

'We're destroying what should be the finest river on Earth': Feargal Sharkey tests the River Test with LBC

Household energy bills will rise again from January

Household energy bills to rise by £21 a year from January in further blow for Brits this winter

Putin issued a chilling threat to the West as he confirmed Russia launched a ballistic missile against Ukraine

'The world must respond': Zelenskyy warns that Putin is 'testing' the West after confirmed use of new ballistic missile

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Donald Trump nominates Pam Bondi for attorney general hours after Matt Gaetz withdraws

Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Netanyahu

Netanyahu faces arrest if he travels to Britain as Starmer vows to enforce International Criminal Court warrant

Yvette Cooper has branded the Rwanda scheme a "complete con."

Yvette Cooper to crack down on anti-social behaviour with new 'respect orders' as repeat offenders face jail time

King Charles III And Queen Camilla on Coronation Day

King Charles' coronation cost taxpayer £72 million, report reveals

Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City

Pep Guardiola signs two-year contract extension with Manchester City

Captain Tom's Daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore

Behaviour at Captain Tom charity left ex-boss 'gobsmacked'

Armed robbers attempted to break into the star's Sunderland home.

Masked machete-wielding robbers break into Charlotte Crosby's home while she is upstairs with two-year-old daughter

Police have released new CCTV of Harshita Brella and her husband

Chilling CCTV released of Harshita Brella and prime murder suspect husband on night she was killed

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark triumphant finale

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark show's triumphant finale

King Charles performs a Hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, with Mere Takoko

King Charles shares traditional Maori nose rub greeting with activist as he launches environmental charity