A Tory MP rang a senior Conservative politician at 4am after he found himself in a brothel unable to ‘find my clothes’, it has been reported.
The astonishing call has reignited conversations about a toxic culture in Westminster as Parliament continues to examine how to deal with sleaze among MPs.
The revelation comes amid another wave of controversy about the working culture at Westminster, with the hard-drinking lifestyle blamed for a series of recent so-called ‘Pestminster’ incidents.
Startled awake in the early hours, the senior Conservative who received the panicked phone call may have been unaware of how the conversation would proceed but knew it would be problematic, DailyMail on Sunday reports.
As they answered the call, half-asleep, a woozy-sounding Tory MP appeared on the other end of the line. Begging for help, the unnamed Tory MP said: ‘I’m in a brothel.’
He added: ‘I don’t know how I got here and I can’t find my clothes.’
According to Express, revelations about the phone call have reportedly sparked a rumour mill in the Commons, with politicians drawing up shortlists of the most likely candidates.
A Tory source confirmed the incident on Saturday night but declined to name the culprit.
One MP said: ‘It has got us all asking – who would be your ‘phone a friend’ at 4am in a sticky situation? And our conclusion was – certainly not the person that he did call.’
Last week, the Metropolitan Police said it was no longer investigating allegations of sexual assault against Tory MP Julian Knight, who was suspended from the parliamentary party over the case.
However, the Tory whips’ office said it would not restore Mr Knight as a Tory MP following ‘further complaints’.
Mr Knight has claimed that ‘the whips’ office now seems intent on continuing a witch-hunt against me’.
It was claimed last year that a total of 70 complaints of inappropriate behaviour had been lodged against 56 MPs.
Parliament is examining ways to tackle lifestyle issues facing MPs and their staff, including burnout, mistreatment of employees and misconduct.
