SOLIHULL MP Julian Knight is to step down at the next election.
This comes after the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into him after they received allegations of serious sexual assault.
The Met then dropped the investigation, but the Tory whips office said it would not restore Mr Knight as a Tory MP following ‘further complaints’.
Mr Knight hit back in a statement.
He said: “I will not be standing for the Conservatives or any other party at the next general election.
“The past year has been for my wife and I the worst of our lives.”
And he hit back against claims made against him.
“The false and malicious accusation brought against me last December did untold damage to my physical and mental well being as well as causing pain and distress to my loved ones.
“When the police finally exonerated me, without ever needing to interview me, I believed the nightmare was over. It seemed that justice, although delayed, had prevailed.
“However, the whips office immediately made a statement about unspecified further complaints which, tarnished my name and left my family and me in limbo.
“Over the past month I have tried to discover the nature of these allegations so that I could deny them, since I know I am guilty of no wrong-doing.
“However, no details nor timeline has been forthcoming from the Whips Office.
“I stress I am not under any sort of formal investigation by any Parliamentary authority.
“Nevertheless, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that no job or political career is worth this.”
He added he would not be requesting the Conservative whip back.
“I do this in sorrow and not in anger.
“As a result, I will now sit until the general election in Parliament as an independent – continuing to work for Solihull and my constituents.
“The chairmanship of the DCMS select committee is a party position that I have no choice but to relinquish, given my decision to remain an independent.
“I do so with a sense of achievement and with my thanks to my cross-Party colleagues on the committee.
“I also wish to put on record my thanks to my local party members who have been a wonderful support to me during the decade during which I have had the privilege of representing them.
“Most of all though I wish to acknowledge the support of my wife and loved ones during this traumatic and exhausting time.”
And he concluded by saying, although now was not the time, he would ‘in due course be taking legal advice over whether I should follow up on the police’s recent invitation to register a criminal complaint regarding December’s false and malicious accusation’.
