Truss' Trade Minister Axed, Has Whip Suspended After ‘Serious Misconduct’ Claim

The Conservative MP for Bournemouth West has also had his whip suspended pending an investigation, which he intended to “fully cooperate with”, in the hopes of “clearing his name”.

The Conservative MP for Bournemouth West, Conor Burns, who was appointed Minister for Trade Policy by Liz Truss last month, has been sacked.

The Prime Minister had the Tory MP removed from her government after a third party complained about the British politician’s behavior towards a younger man at a recent annual party gathering. The allegation relates to Burns’ conduct in a hotel bar during the 2022 Conservative Party Conference which took place in Birmingham between 2 and 5 October.

“Following a complaint of serious misconduct, the Prime Minister has asked Conor Burns MP to leave the government with immediate effect. The Prime Minister took direct action on being informed of this allegation and is clear that all ministers should maintain the highest standards of behavior – as the public rightly expects," a Number 10 spokesman said in a statement.

Burns was also informed by Chief Whip Wendy Morton that his party whip was being suspended pending an investigation, something that he announced in a series of Twitter posts on Friday night, while he deplored the fact that he had not allegedly been given any information about the complaint.

He expressed hope that the party would be “as quick to conduct their enquiry as they were to rush to judgement".

1/3 Earlier I received a call from the Chief Whip Wendy Morton. Ms Morton informed me that a complaint had been received about me and she had passed it to Conservative Campaign Headquarters to investigate. I was not given any information about the complaint nor was I asked to

— Conor Burns (@ConorBurnsUK) October 7, 2022

2/3 provide any information. On the basis of this complaint Ms Morton told me that the Whip was being withdrawn and that I was standing down as Trade Minister. I will fully cooperate with the Party's enquiry and look forward to clearing my name.

— Conor Burns (@ConorBurnsUK) October 7, 2022

3/3 I hope the party will be as quick to conduct their enquiry as they were to rush to judgement.

— Conor Burns (@ConorBurnsUK) October 7, 2022

"We have suspended the whip pending investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior earlier this week. We take all such allegations extremely seriously. The Prime Minister has been clear that the highest standards in public life must be upheld," a Whips office spokesman said.

Burns, who has served as MP for Bournemouth West since 2010 and was a close ally of former PM Boris Johnson during his premiership, is not the first Conservative Member of Parliament to have faced allegations of misconduct in the past months.

Johnson’s tenure was beset by scandals.

Imran Ahmad Khan, the former Conservative MP for Wakefield, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy at a party in 2008. He resigned as an MP on 28 April 2022, triggering a by-election that Labor won on 23 June.

Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Neil Parish, lost the whip and resigned on 29 April after admitting he watched pornography twice in the House of Commons. His resignation prompted a by-election that brought victory to the Liberal Democrats on 23 June.

In May, 2022, an unnamed Conservative MP was arrested on suspicion of rape and several other sexual offences. The MP, currently on bail, is still under investigation by the Metropolitan police.

Chris Pincher, the Conservative deputy chief whip, stepped down after admitting he had “embarrassed [himself] and other people” after reports emerged that he had drunkenly groped two men at a private club. Pincher had previously stood down in 2017 after he allegedly “made a pass” at a Tory activist. At the time, he resigned as an Assistant Whip and Comptroller of the Household, but was cleared of wrongdoing by a party probe.

According to a report by The Sunday Times back in April, 56 MPs have been accused of things ranging from sexually inappropriate comments to more serious wrongdoing. The opposition Labour Party has repeatedly accused the ruling Tories of turning a blind eye to misconduct in Westminster.