A member of the United Kingdom’s Labour Party has been administratively suspended following an arrest related to the recent sexting scandal within Westminster. The party was informed about the arrest of one of its members from Islington on Wednesday, according to insiders. In light of the ongoing police investigation, the Labour Party has refrained from making any comments.
The Metropolitan Police in London verified earlier in the day that a man in his mid-20s was apprehended on suspicions of harassment and potential violations of the Online Safety Act. The statement from the police announced that the man had been detained and their investigation continues.
Reports of unsolicited messages to MPs and others are being looked into by the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team from the Met. The sexting scandal that came to light this spring seemed to focus on several male politicians, assistants, and political journalists.
Multiple male victims have reported receiving unrequested messages from senders going by “Abi” or “Charlie” since the beginning of 2023. On occasion, these messages contained explicit content and requested sexual material in return, with some recipients responding with explicit images of themselves.
These communications often arrived unexpectedly late in the night from an unrecognised number. They frequently started with mention of a recent encounter at an event, such as a Westminster bar, a party conference, or campaigning for a byelection. These conversations would then tend to take a flirtatious turn, as reported by Politico.
Investigations into this issue have been ongoing since April, with the police collecting statements from both Labour and Conservative MPs who are believed to have received these unsolicited messages.
William Wragg, a past Conservative MP, resigned from the parliamentary party after confessing to sharing the contact details of fellow MPs with an acquaintance from Grindr, a dating app for gay men.
After being blackmailed over pictures he had sent to the individual, Mr. Wragg, who once occupied a high-ranking post within the influential 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, voluntarily gave up the Conservative whip. In a previous statement to The Times, Wragg expressed his regret and remorse over the harm his actions caused to others.
Prior to the breakout of the scandal, he had already declared his intent to retire from Parliament at the approaching election.
Luke Evans, a Tory candidate in the upcoming general election, has identified himself as a potential victim of online harassment. He stated that he had alerted the police after falling prey to cyberflashing and harmful online contact. Earlier this year, Downing Street advised political figures to be wary of all unsolicited communications. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024.