Former Tory whip groped young female staffer in ‘brazen and drunken’ sexual assault, report finds

Abuse of power would have led to MP Aaron Bell being suspended for a ‘significant period’ had he not stood down at election, watchdog says

A former Tory assistant whip groped a young female staffer in “brazen and drunken” sexual misconduct, the parliamentary standards watchdog has found.
A panel concluded that Aaron Bell, who stood down at the election, touched a woman “on her left thigh, waist and bottom inappropriately and without her consent” while in one of Parliament’s bars last December.
The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) concluded that had he still been an MP, he would have faced suspension from Parliament for a “significant period”.
Mr Bell in response said that he apologised for “any upset caused to the complainant” and his former constituents, and that he had let down “the loyal members of my association”.
He said he had made the decision not to stand again as an MP in part due to the investigation into his conduct.
The incident took place in the Strangers’ Bar in the Palace of Westminster.
The report said: “Any Member of Parliament in that setting remains a person with particular power and authority. Indeed, sexual misconduct such as this, which is both brazen and drunken, makes the conduct more serious as the level of threat is increased.”
It found that he had “abused his position of power over the complainant” as “not only was he considerably older, but he was also a Member of Parliament therefore holding a particularly powerful role.
The report went on: “In addition, he was an assistant government whip which is not only a senior ministerial role with considerable authority, but also a role that involves upholding the highest standards of conduct.”
Mr Bell told the IEP that he was “clearly drunk” and could not “recall everything about the evening”.
The panel said that had he been eligible for a former member’s pass to the Palace of Westminster, it would have sought “its indefinite removal”.
Mr Bell was a serving MP from 2019 and stood down at the previous election, so had not served for a sufficiently long period to be able to obtain such a pass.
In a statement, Mr Bell said: “I am disappointed at the outcome of the investigation but have chosen not to appeal the findings of the Commissioner.
“I apologise for any upset caused to the complainant and wish to make it clear that I did not intend to cause any distress.
He added: “This investigation was one of the reasons I chose not to seek re-election at the general election – I have let down the loyal members of my association and thank them for the support they gave me as a Member of Parliament.
“I would also like to apologise to the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme, whom it was an honour to serve.
“This has been a difficult time for my family and I would ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”
The findings come after the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) said in October that the drinking culture in Westminster fuelled inappropriate behaviour.