The MP faces the sanction following allegations he drunkenly groped two men at a London club in a scandal that hastened Boris Johnson’s downfall.
Tory former whip Chris Pincher has lost his appeal against an eight-week suspension from the Commons following allegations he drunkenly groped two men at London’s exclusive Carlton Club last year.
The suspension exceeds the 10-day threshold that would trigger a recall petition in his Tamworth seat, which could pave the way for a by-election.
The Commons Standards Committee in July recommended a lengthy suspension for Mr Pincher after it found that the MP’s conduct last summer was “profoundly damaging” and amounted to an abuse of power.
Boris Johnson’s handling of the row over his former chief whip was the final nail in the coffin of his premiership, triggering his resignation last year after an exodus of ministers from his administration.
Mr Pincher, who remains MP for Tamworth, lodged an appeal against the committee’s findings arguing it was disproportionate.
But Parliament’s watchdog, the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), on Monday dismissed his appeal and upheld the Standards Committee’s recommended sanction.
