Rob Roberts MP suspended from Conservative Party
- Published
Rob Roberts during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday
An MP who sexually harassed a member of his staff has been suspended from the Conservative Party for 12 weeks.
Rob Roberts has faced calls to resign as an MP since the findings of a Parliamentary investigation.
He was forced out of the Commons for six weeks as a result, and stripped of his status as a Tory MP but at the time remained a member of the party.
The former employee said the Delyn MP had repeatedly propositioned him and asked him to be less alluring.
The MP's suspension from the party began on 9 August and he did not appeal against it.
It was only revealed on Wednesday after queries from the BBC - the Conservative Party said it had remained confidential while Mr Roberts was able to appeal.
The party suspension will end on 1 November, but the Conservative whip will remain suspended so he will continue to sit as an independent MP.
Responding to the latest development, Mr Roberts's former employee told the BBC: "It's disconcerting that someone who has caused so much concern amongst younger members of the party should be allowed to continue their membership and potentially continue to have access to other young members in the future."
Mr Roberts was suspended from the House of Commons in May after a report found the Delyn MP had committed a "serious and persistent breach of the sexual misconduct policy".
At the time the MP said he apologised for a "completely improper" breach of trust "in the MP-staff relationship".
But the suspension prompted a row when it became clear that it would not trigger a recall petition on whether there should be a fresh election in Delyn.
Rob Roberts was suspended for six weeks from the Commons after he was found to have sexually harassed a staff member
Both the government and the opposition has agreed to change the rules - Labour have wanted it to apply retrospectively to Mr Roberts, although the chair of the expert panel which ruled on the MP's case has argued against that.
Tory party figures had also asked Mr Roberts to stay away from the Commons following the end of his six-week suspension.
He has subsequently appeared in the House of Commons and was booed by MPs when he addressed Boris Johnson from the Conservative benches during Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday.
After his suspension from the Commons the Conservative Party co-chairman called for a review of Rob Roberts membership of the Conservative Party.
A disciplinary panel recommended that Rob Roberts's membership be suspended for a period of 12 weeks
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: "The Conservative Party expects its members to behave in a manner fit for public life and Rob Roberts behaviour fell below the standards expected of him."
What does Labour say now?
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said Labour had "put forward a solution to close this loophole [and trigger a recall petition] and it is perfectly workable".
"To not accept it, and continuing to cover a member who has recently been sanctioned for sexual harassment of staff, is not right," she said.
"His constituents should be able to decide if he is the right person to represent them.
"There is no excuse for the government not to act now that Rob Roberts has been suspended by the Conservative Party to ensure fairness at the heart of the system."