A former Conservative MP has been formally reprimanded by a parliamentary panel after he ‘touched’ a woman ‘inappropriately and without her consent’ in a bar.
Aaron Bell was the MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme from 2019 until the election in July this year, when he stepped down for personal and family reasons.
In August, he was referred to the Independent Expert Panel at the House of Commons over an alleged incident of sexual misconduct at Strangers Bar – a popular drinking spot for politicians located within Parliament.
A complainant said Bell had ‘touched [her] on her left thigh, waist and bottom’ at the bar on February 2.
During an investigation, the married father-of-three stated he was ‘clearly drunk’ and therefore could not ‘recall everything about the evening’, but that he believed the flirting was mutual.
Today, the panel published a verdict finding that the MP had ‘abused his position of power’ during the incident, describing the misconduct as ‘both brazen and drunken’.
It added: ‘Not only was he considerably older, but he was also a Member of Parliament therefore holding a particularly powerful role.’
Bell was also an Assistance Government Whip at the time, a position that ‘involves upholding the highest standards of conduct’, the report said.
It concluded that Bell would have been suspended for a ‘significant period’ if he still sat in the House of Commons, adding: ‘If he had been eligible for a former Member’s pass it would have sought its indefinite removal.
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