Tory MP David Warburton 'in psychiatric hospital for shock and stress' amid misconduct claims
A Conservative MP has been admitted to a 'psychiatric hospital for shock and stress' following claims about his misconduct, his wife has said.
On Saturday, David Warburton, MP for Somerton and Frome, had the Tory whip withdrawn pending an investigation into allegations about his behaviour.
Harriet Warburton, who is Mr Warburton's wife and communications manager, said in a brief statement: "David has today been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for severe shock and stress. No further comment to make."
The claims about Mr Warburton, 56, who sits on the backbenches, are being examined by Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).
The Sunday Times reported that two women had made formal complaints to the ICGS about Mr Warburton’s behaviour and a third woman had also made allegations about his conduct. All three women accuse him of unwanted sexual comments and sexual touching, the newspaper said, and the latter also accuses the MP of having used cocaine at her home. According to The Sunday Times, the two women who complained to the ICGS were former parliamentary aides, while the other met him through politics. Mr Warburton is said to deny any wrongdoing.
He is cited as telling The Telegraph: “I have enormous amounts of defence, but unfortunately the way that things work means that doesn’t come out first. “I have heard nothing whatsoever from the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme. I’m sorry, I can’t comment any further.”
A spokesperson for the Whips' Office said: “David Warburton MP has had the Conservative Party whip removed while the investigation is ongoing.”
Who is MP David Warburton?
Mr Warburton was first elected in 2015 with a majority of 20,268, or 53% of the vote. According to the MP’s website, at 18.3%, this represented the largest constituency swing to the Conservative Party.
He was re-elected in 2017 and 2019, with majorities of 22,906 and 19,213, respectively.
He is the current chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Music and was previously a member of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee.
Prior to being an MP, Mr Warburton’s site says he taught music for five years at an inner-city mixed community school in London before founding the technology company The Music Solution Ltd in 1999, which later became Pitch Entertainment Group.
He went on to set up two building property restoration and development companies in 2009, his website says, and co-founded the online business MyHighSt in 2012.