But government sources said “rumours” of alleged wrongdoing by Mr Pincher were well known in Westminster. In 2017, Alex Story, a former Olympic rower and conservative activist, publicly accused Mr Pincher of making an unwanted pass to him while wearing a bathrobe, such as a “pound shop Harvey Weinstein”. Mr Pincher denied the allegation.
Downing Street did not deny claims on Saturday night that Mr Johnson joked about the rumors at a 2020 rescheduling meeting when he is said to have said: ‘He’s handy, that’s a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature’.
Sources said the widespread rumours, coupled with the 2017 allegations by Mr Story, Mr Whittaker’s resignation in February and the Prime Minister’s alleged prank call, defend number 10 of Mr Johnson’s decision to appoint Mr. Pincher as deputy head whip have been seriously questioned. †
The senior government source said: “The claim that he was unaware of allegations of sexual impropriety appears to be rather vague.”
Mr Whittaker, who did not comment, has been sitting on the back benches since he left the government.
Councilors in Pincher’s constituency in Tamworth on Saturday called on him to do the “honourable thing” and resign as MP, saying “you can’t just grope people”.