Ex-Tory MP Aaron Bell reprimanded for 'drunken' sexual misconduct

Former Conservative Member of Parliament Aaron Bell has faced disciplinary action from Parliament's standards authority for engaging in "bold and intoxicated" inappropriate sexual behavior.

Bell was reported to have inappropriately made contact with a woman "on her left thigh, waist, and backside without her consent" at one of the bars in Parliament in December 2023.

The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) determined that, had Bell still been a Member of Parliament, they would have contemplated suspending him from Parliament for a lengthy duration.

Earlier this year, Bell revealed that he would be resigning from his position as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, mentioning personal and family matters as the reasons for his decision.

In reaction to the report, he expressed that he was "let down by the results" but decided not to contest the conclusions.

I'm very sorry for any discomfort this situation may have caused the person who raised the complaint. I want to clarify that it was never my intention to cause any distress.

This inquiry was a significant factor in my decision not to run for re-election in the upcoming general election. I feel that I have disappointed the dedicated members of my association, and I am grateful for the support they provided during my time as a Member of Parliament. I also want to express my apologies to the residents of Newcastle-under-Lyme, whom it has been a privilege to represent.

"This has been a challenging period for my family, and I kindly request that you respect our privacy during this time."

The accusation against the Member of Parliament was filed in February 2024 and was later confirmed.

The IEP determined that Bell had "misused his authority regarding the complainant."

The panel mentioned, "He was not only much older, but he also served as a Member of Parliament, which gave him a significant position of power."

Furthermore, he served as an assistant government whip, a position that carries significant power and requires maintaining exemplary standards of behavior.

The fact that it happened in a bar does not lessen the severity of the behavior.

In that context, every Member of Parliament holds a position of significant influence and authority.

Certainly! Here's a rewritten version of the section: "Clearly, acts of sexual misconduct like this, which are both bold and fueled by alcohol, elevate the severity of the behavior due to the heightened level of danger involved."

The inquiry involved speaking with the person who filed the complaint, the witnesses, and Bell. Additionally, it examined the WhatsApp messages exchanged among the parties involved.

Bell informed the investigator that he was definitely under the influence of alcohol and couldn't remember all the details of that night.

The report mentions that he recalled making contact with the complainant's thigh and possibly her waist, but he refuted any claims of having touched her backside.

He claimed that there was a back-and-forth of flirtation between them, which ultimately resulted in him touching the person who made the complaint.

However, regarding his idea about flirting, he noted, "To be honest, it’s likely that I was the one doing more of the flirting with her than she was with me."

The person making the complaint stated that there was no flirtation or any kind of encouragement from either side.

The person filing the complaint expressed to the investigator that she felt "very uneasy" and described his behavior as "extremely bold".

After looking into the case, the parliamentary commissioner for standards stated that the MP's assertion of shared flirting was "inconsistent with the evidence provided by the complainant and the testimonies of the two witnesses."

Additionally, the commissioner mentioned that the respondent's account of the supposed mutual flirting was "too vague to be convincing and, regardless, does not excuse any physical contact without clear consent," according to the report.

Bell was elected to Parliament for the first time in 2019, securing a victory in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, a constituency that was previously a stronghold for Labour in Staffordshire.

He strongly criticized Boris Johnson for how he managed the Partygate scandal and in February 2022 urged the prime minister to resign.

He worked in the whip's office, which is the group that oversees party discipline, from November 2023 to July 2024.