Rishi Sunak could face TRIPLE by-election test on July 20

Rishi Sunak could face TRIPLE by-election test on July 20 after David Warburton officially quits amid harassment and cocaine probe

Rishi Sunak could face a triple by-election test on July 20 after David Warburton formally quit as an MP today.

Mr Warburton has officially resigned from the Commons after an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and cocaine use.

The Tories are now expected to push ahead with the writ triggering a contest in his Somerton & Frome seat.

That is likely to happen on the same Thursday as the votes in Uxbridge & South Ruislip – Boris Johnson’s former constituency – and Selby & Ainsty, where ex-Cabinet minister Nigel Adams has stood down.

The results will be a critical indication of Mr Sunak’s electoral prospects, with a general election due next year. There is speculation that Labour and the Lib Dems will strike an informal deal to give each other a clear run in the constituencies they are best-placed to win.

David Warburton has officially resigned form the Commons after an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and cocaine use

Rishi Sunak could face a triple by-election test on July 20 after Mr Warburton formally quit as an MP today

Another contest is looming in Mid Bedfordshire, but former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has delayed her formal departure amid a row over how the Cabinet Office handled a peerage process.  

Mr Warburton’s exit from the Commons was confirmed by the Treasury following his appointment as Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead – one of the procedural routes for an MP to quit.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Mr Warburton admitted to taking cocaine after drinking ‘tons of incredibly potent’ Japanese whiskey, but denied claims he harassed a female political aide in his Westminster flat.

Mr Warburton took the seat from the Liberal Democrats in 2015 and had a 19,213 majority.

When he announced his resignation on Saturday, Mr Warburton hit out at the investigation conducted by Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), claiming he had been denied a fair hearing.

In his resignation letter he said had been left with ‘no choice’ but to provoke ‘the upheaval of a by-election’, adding: ‘It is my hope that, in so doing, I can freely illuminate the methods of an oversight system not fit for purpose, so that friends and colleagues in the House can see the perverted process by which their own judgment may at any time be freighted.’

That is likely to happen on the same Thursday as the votes in Uxbridge & South Ruislip – Boris Johnson’s (pictured) former constituency – and Selby & Ainsty, where ex-Cabinet minister Nigel Adams has stood down

A House of Commons spokesman said: ‘Parliament remains absolutely committed to the ICGS.

‘It is there to ensure that all complaints are dealt with in a manner that is fair, thorough, independent and efficient, offering support to all parties.

‘The target to reduce the length of investigations must always be balanced against the paramount requirement to ensure that investigations are rigorous and robust.

‘The scheme always seeks to learn from cases, and is mindful of the impact investigations may have on those involved.’

The spokesman refused to be drawn on Mr Warburton’s specific case as confidentiality requirements meant ‘we cannot provide any information on any complaints or cases, including whether or not a complaint has been received’.

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