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Politics
Liam O'Dell
May 22, 2022
Boris Johnson confronted by journalist over Tory party's 'toxic culture'
ITV News
Public discussion around a Tory MP facing allegations of sexual assault has been criticised on social media, after ‘nipplegate’ trended on Twitter to describe the accusations faced by the male politician.
The Mirrorreported on Sunday that the individual is alleged to have used date-rape drugs on four victims, including another Conservative MP who “awoke to find his nipples being licked” – hence the inappropriate hashtag.
It comes after another Tory MP was arrested and bailed this week after facing allegations of rape and sexual assault.
The Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday the male had been bailed “to a date in mid-June” and that an investigation “is ongoing”.
“Ongoing” meaning the case is very much active and you have to be careful what you say online so as to avoid libelling anyone or prejudicing a police investigation.
We have more on that in another article – but that hasn’t stopped some from commenting on ‘nipplegate’, and others from calling out the term used to describe the latest scandal:
#nipplegate is not some light-hearted, laughable thing. \n\nThere\u2019s allegations of a MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, a \u201csenior Tory\u201d, spiking multiple drinks, along with allegations of sexual abuse. \n\nWe need a complete overhaul of the people we have representing us.— James Foster (@James Foster) 1653207556
I know the whole #Nipplegate thing is potentially hilarious, but please remember:\n\nWe're talking about people who were allegedly drugged, assaulted and abused by powerful people with effective immunity from normal consequences.\n\nUnimaginably hard for the victim(s) to deal with.— Simon Goretti (@Simon Goretti) 1653171606
#nipplegate is such an infantile term that encourages people to treat the latest sex scandal to hit the Tories with levity.\n\nA reminder: the senior Tory MP in question is alleged to have plied four victims with date-rape drugs before assaulting them!https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/top-tory-mp-faces-drink-27030008?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar\u00a0\u2026— The Purple Pimpernel (@The Purple Pimpernel) 1653202817
Am I the only one who thinks the term #nipplegate makes it sound like a little scamp having a bit of fun, when the truth is, it's very serious and multiple allegations of sexual assault?— Fraser Farndon (@Fraser Farndon) 1653202493
Isn't #nipplegate just a touch trivialising of what sounds like horrific sexual abuse, involving drugging of victims?— Michael Volpe OBE (@Michael Volpe OBE) 1653206368
Meanwhile, the police investigation into the Conservative politician who was arrested and bailed comes after officers received a report about him in January last year – one which concerned alleged sexual offences committed between 2002 and 2009 in London.
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In the same week police took the MP into custody, it was revealed the chief whip of the Conservative Party - Chris Heaton-Harris – has urged the individual in question to steer clear of parliament.
The MP has not been suspended from the party, however, meaning he can still sit on the Conservative benches in the Commons.
Yet Labour is calling for the male to have the whip removed, in a process which would see him identified to the public.
The Tory whips’ office said in a statement: “The chief whip has asked that the MP concerned does not attend the parliamentary estate while an investigation is ongoing.
“Until the conclusion of the investigation we will not be commenting further.”
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