Tory MP arrested for allegedly assaulting his children
A close friend of Tory leader David Cameron was arrested and then held at a police station for more than 12 hours for an alleged assault on two teenagers.
Shadow work and pensions minister Nigel Waterson, who has been the MP for Eastbourne since 1992, was released by police yesterday morning.
He has been bailed until March.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the teenagers in question are Mr Waterson’s son and daughter.
He has been released on police bail as the police investigation continues.
A police spokesman told the Telegraph that the allegations were not of a sexual nature:
“A 58 year old man was arrested. Detectives from the Child Abuse Investigation Command (SCD5) are investigating.
“The victim did not attend hospital. Following police attendance an allegation was made concerning previous alleged offences on a second victim.”
The BBC reports that Mr Waterson was arrested on Sunday evening by Metropolitan police officers at an address in Bromley.
As an MP he has consistently opposed gay rights, voting against civil partnerships, gay adoption, the abolition of Section 28 and the equalisation of the age of consent.
Today it was announced that Tory MP Derek Conway has had the party whip removed from him.
He may face a criminal investigation after it emerged he had paid one of his sons tens of thousands of pounds of public money.
The House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee found no evidence of any work done by Freddie Conway, a full time student, that would justify payments of £40,000 over three years of “employment.”
Freddie also received four one-off bonuses totalling more than £10,000.
The committee recommended that Mr Conway be suspended from the Commons for ten days and pay back some of the money.
“The usual procedure in these cases is to leave the punishment to the House of Commons authorities,” Tory party leader David Cameron said today.
“However, having asked the chief whip to speak again to Mr Conway and having personally reflected overnight, I have decided to withdraw the Conservative whip from Mr Conway.”
This leaves the MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup isolated from his party colleagues and in effect an independent MP for the time being.
He now faces questions about similar payments made to his elder son, Henry.
