Oris Johnson is facing calls to oust the former Tory deputy chief whip from the party after he stopped dramatically after a drunken incident.
Chris Pincher, who was responsible for maintaining discipline among conservative MPs, said he “embarrassed myself and other people” after having “far too much” to drink.
The Sun reported that he got up after assaulting two fellow guests at the Carlton Club – a private member club of Tory Party in London’s Piccadilly – on Wednesday night.
I embarrassed myself and other people what is the last thing I want to do
However, the newspaper said he would continue to sit as a Tory MP as he is seen as the right thing to do by acknowledging and resigning offenses.
Labor said it showed the party was “immersed in sleaze and scandal” and questioned how Mr Pincher could still be allowed to take the Conservative whip given what happened.
In May, the Tory MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Neil Parish, completely resigned his Commons seat after admitting to watching pornography in the Commons room.
Angela Rayner, deputy Labor leader, said: “This latest episode shows how far standards in public life have been degraded on Boris Johnson’s watch.
“Boris Johnson has serious questions to answer about why Chris Pincher was given this role in the first place and how he can remain a conservative MP.
“The Conservative Party is being looked at in such a way that it is completely incapable of tackling the challenges facing the British people.”
In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Pincher apologized for his behavior and said it was “the honor of my life” to serve in government.
“I drank way too much last night. “I have embarrassed myself and other people, which is the last thing I want to do and for that I apologize to you and those involved,” he said.
“I think the right thing to do in the circumstances is that I resign as deputy chief whip. I owe it to you and the people I have upset to do so.
“I want to assure you that you will still have my full support from the back benches. It was the honor of my life to serve in Her Majesty’s government. ”
His departure in such dramatic circumstances is a further blow to the Prime Minister who has been plagued with allegations of misconduct over lockdown parties in Downing Street.
The Tamworth MP was appointed last February along with Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris to support support for the Prime Minister amid growing unrest among Tory MPs over the “partygate” revelations.
This is the second time he has left the whip office, after resigning as a junior whip in November 2017 after a complaint that he made an unwanted pass to former Olympic rower and conservative candidate Alex Story.
After referring himself to both the police and the complaint procedure of the Conservative Party, he was brought back in January 2018 by Theresa May as deputy chief whip.
When Mr Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019, he was moved to the Foreign Office as Minister for Europe and the Americas before returning to the Whip Office for a third time.
His departure comes just days after Oliver Dowden resigned as party co-chair in the wake of the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-election losses.
This leaves Mr. Johnson, who returned from the country of the NATO summit on Thursday after nine days, with another headache with two important roles to fulfill.