That Labour MP for the City of Chester, Christian Matheson, has dramatically resigned as an MP this morning, after the parliamentary watchdog, the Independent Expert Panel, recommended he be suspended from Westminster for 4 weeks.
The Panel’s recommendation followed allegations of sexual misconduct brought against Mr Matheson by a former member of his staff. It is understood that the case has taken some 17 months to conclude.
In in his resignation statement, the Chester MP accepted that he had committed a minor breach of the rules, but detailed how he was “dismayed” to have been found guilty of several allegations “that I known to be untrue”.
Having failed to win an appeal against his four week suspension, Mr Matheson said, “I believe that the honourable and right thing to do now is to resign my seat and seek to rebuild my life elsewhere”.
Responding to his resignation, Jenny Symmons, Chair of the GMB Union branch for Members’ Staff said, “This was another grotesque abuse of power from an MP against a vulnerable member of staff”.
Welcoming the serious sanction handed out to Mr Matheson, the Union said, “This indicates progress in handling internal complaints in parliament, after some previous lenient punishments”.
Mr Matheson’s resignation will now prompt a by-election in the City of Chester. Labour won the seat in 2019 with a majority of 6,164. Given the size of their lead in the national opinion polls, it is not thought that the Labour Party will struggle to retain the seat.
Mr Matheson was first elected to Westminster in 2015, serving as shadow Minister for Media between 2020 and 2021. He worked as a manager in the electricity industry before being elected to parliament.
Mr Matheson’s case is the latest in a series of sexual complaint allegations this year.
In June 2022 , the former SNP Chief whip, Patrick Grady was suspended from the Commons for two days after the Independent panel upheld accusations that the MP made an unwanted sexual advance to a party worker.
Whilst in May, the then Conservative MP, Neil Parish, resigned from Westminster after admitting watching pornography on his mobile phone in the Commons chamber.
