William Wragg resigns as vice-chair of 1922 committee amid sexting scam fallout

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Reports suggest that a member of the Conservative Party in Parliament has stepped down from his role as vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee. This decision comes after he claimed that he was coerced into revealing the personal phone numbers of other politicians as part of a sexting scheme in Westminster.

Reportedly, William Wragg has resigned as the chief of the influential Commons' public administration and constitutional affairs committee (PACAC).

Last week, the Member of Parliament representing Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester accepted that he disclosed his coworkers' contact numbers to a person on a dating application. He did this because he was afraid that his private pictures might be leaked.

Scotland Yard is currently looking into the alleged "honeytrap" scam. Several individuals within the political world claim to have received uninvited messages, giving rise to concerns about their security. At least 12 men appear to be affected by this issue.

Sources indicate that Mr. Wragg is unlikely to be ousted from his seat or be compelled to serve as an independent MP while his party conducts an investigation into his activities.

According to MPs who spoke to The Independent, the party is being cautious about taking any action against Mr Wragg as they fear it may cause an inquiry that could result in another election.

A Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) expressed that the choice to permit Mr. Wragg to maintain his position was a pragmatic move. The MP explained that triggering a by-election at this time would not be ideal, especially since there will be a general election in six months and Mr. Wragg has already committed to stepping down. The MP also noted that if Mr. Wragg wasn't planning on resigning at the upcoming general election, this could have resulted in a different outcome.

At the same time, Jeremy Hunt, who serves as chancellor, openly supported Mr Wragg, commending him for his brave and heartfelt apology. The MP also expressed regret to The Times for the harm he caused. Gareth Davies, a Treasury minister, affirmed that Mr Wragg made the right decision by apologizing and will still be given support from the party.

According to reports, the unidentified scammer utilized the false names "Charlie" and "Abi" to lure Members of Parliament into providing explicit photos by sending them flirtatious messages.

Mr. Wragg expressed regret for his vulnerability in his response. He stated to The Times that the individuals had sensitive information about him leading him to comply with their demands. Even though he did not share all the information they requested, he provided them with some phone numbers. Mr. Wragg firmly asked them to stop, but unfortunately, he was manipulated, which led him to inflict harm on others.

I had a conversation with a man on a mobile application and we shared our photographs. We had arranged a plan to get together for some beverages, but it did not happen. Later on, he began requesting me to provide him with contact details of other individuals.

"I was concerned because he possessed information about me. He provided me with a WhatsApp contact number which is no longer active."

The Member of Parliament stated: "My lack of strength has caused harm to others. I was afraid and ashamed. I deeply regret the pain my vulnerability has caused to others, and I apologize."

However, there has been an increase in pressure in the past few days due to worries regarding the safety of parliament. People from both sides of the political spectrum have been questioning his actions.

Conservative Member of Parliament, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, called out Mr. Wragg as an "idiot" for jeopardizing security after disclosing that she, too, had fallen victim to a spear-phishing text.

She stated on her X account, previously known as Twitter, that she also obtained the message on WhatsApp and notified the relevant parties.

The statement was exactly the same and made reference to the "Conference." As a mother with a young child who has recently received threats, I am not pleased with #Wragg, unlike some MPs. It is unacceptable for him to put the safety of his fellow MPs at risk. It's important that immediate action be taken!

According to Bloomberg, Mr. Wragg resigned from his position in PACAC and as the vice-chair of the influential 1922 committee for Conservative MPs.

The Member of Parliament has been approached regarding their thoughts or statement on the matter.