Liz Truss sacks Conor Burns over misconduct claims in new Tory sleaze row

A trade minister has been sacked by Liz Truss over allegations of sexual misconduct at a late night bar at the Conservative Party conference.

Conor Burns, the MP for Bournemouth West, also had the Tory whip removed as the Conservative Party started to investigate claims of inappropriate behaviour.

Mr Burns has vowed to clear his name, expressing shock that he had been dismissed without being given details of the claim and criticising the “rush to judgment”.

Liz Truss acted on the allegations within hours of them surfacing, in a marked contrast to her predecessor Boris Johnson - who was accused of slow action over misconduct claims against Chris Pincher, the former deputy chief whip.

Allegations of drunken groping made against Mr Pincher played a central role in the ministerial rebellion that led to Mr Johnson's resignation.

Mr Pincher denied any wrongdoing. He initially kept the Tory whip, prompting criticism from some colleagues. Ministers who later quit jobs cited the handling of the case as a factor in their decision.

But the latest developments still piled pressure on the new Prime Minister, who vowed to turn a page on the Johnson premiership during her leadership campaign after a string of Tory sleaze episodes.

Ms Truss has faced a rocky first month in office, with new opinion polls suggesting she has received no bounce after a Tory conference week dominated by party infighting.

The Telegraph understands the incident that triggered the complaint took place on Tuesday night in the bar at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham, which partly hosted the Tory conference.

The complaint alleged that Mr Burns made inappropriate remarks and actions towards a younger man, according to a source close to the investigation. Mr Burns denies any wrongdoing.

The Hyatt was part of the Conservative Party conference “secure zone”, meaning it was frequented by delegates as they made their way between fringe events and receptions.

It was the centre of socialising throughout the conference, with a bar packed with MPs, ministers, lobbyists and Tory activists late into the night.

'Prime Minister took direct action'

Mr Burns is a close ally of Boris Johnson, having played a central part in his original Tory leadership campaign - later serving as a trade minister, then Northern Ireland minister.

He resigned from ministerial office in 2020 after an investigation found he threatened a company chairman over a financial dispute with his father. He returned to the front bench in 2021.

On Friday night, a Downing Street source said Ms Truss was not aware of any formal complaint about Mr Burns’s conduct before she appointed him as a trade minister last month.

The Telegraph understands that the complaint against Mr Burns was submitted on Thursday night by a third-party witness to the events, rather than the alleged victim.

Wendy Morton, the Chief Whip, told Mr Burns on Friday afternoon that he had been sacked as a minister and had the Tory whip removed.

A Number 10 spokesman said: “Following a complaint of serious misconduct, the Prime Minister has asked Conor Burns MP to leave the Government with immediate effect.

“The Prime Minister took direct action on being informed of this allegation and is clear that all ministers should maintain the high standards of behaviour – as the public rightly expects.”

A whips’ office spokesman said: “We have suspended the whip pending investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour earlier this week.

“We take all such allegations extremely seriously. The Prime Minister has been clear that the highest standards in public life must be upheld.”

Mr Burns tweeted:

An ally of Mr Burns questioned whether his closeness to Mr Johnson or perceived criticism of Ms Truss during the conference, when he questioned diplomacy by Instagram, played a role in his speedy sacking.

Mr Burns won his seat of Bournemouth West by just over 10,000 votes at the 2019 election, potentially creating a challenging by-election hold for the Tories if it becomes vacant.