By Ben Kerrigan
A Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) has been arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances
The arrest took place on Wednesday morning, and the individual has since been released on conditional bail.
Crispin Blunt confirmed on X, formerly known as twitter, that he was he was the Mp who had been arrested and formerly charged with rape, but expressed confidence that no charges will follow from the arrest.
A spokesperson for a UK police force, whose identity has also not been disclosed, stated, “We can confirm a man was arrested yesterday morning on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances. He has been released on conditional police bail pending further inquiries.”
The substances suspected of being controlled are currently undergoing testing, with the results pending.
This incident is the latest in a series of arrests involving MPs related to alleged sexual offenses.
In May 2022, another Conservative MP, who remains unnamed for legal reasons, was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, and rape, although no charges have been filed in his case.
Furthermore, two former Conservative MPs have been convicted of sexual assault in recent years.
Charlie Elphicke, who represented Dover, received a two-year prison sentence in 2020 after being found guilty of three counts of sexual assault against two women.
Similarly, Imran Ahmad Khan, the former MP for Wakefield, was sentenced to 18 months in prison last year for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
In the past, it was common practice for the speaker of the House of Commons to make public announcements when an MP was arrested. However, this practice was discontinued in 2016 after fellow MPs voted to increase the privacy of their colleagues when facing arrest.
The latest arrest will likely raise questions and discussions about the handling of such cases within the political sphere. Investigations are ongoing, and further details will be provided as they become available.