LONDON, UK — Patrick Spencer, 37, a Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault. The charges stem from alleged incidents at the Groucho Club, a renowned private members club in central London, in August 2023.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced the charges on Tuesday, confirming that the allegations involve two separate women. Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Division, emphasized the seriousness of the charges. Spencer, however, categorically denies the charges. His legal team stated that he has “co-operated fully with the police investigation” and will vigorously defend the allegations in court. Spencer is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 16, 2025.
In response to the charges, a Conservative Party spokesperson confirmed that Spencer has been suspended from the party, and the whip has been withdrawn with immediate effect. The spokesperson added:
“The Conservative Party believes in integrity and high standards. We have taken immediate action.”
Additionally, it is understood that the Conservative Chief Whip requested that Spencer not attend the parliamentary estate while the investigation continues. Under new rules approved by the House of Commons in 2024, MPs arrested for serious sexual or violent crimes could be banned from attending Parliament. A risk assessment panel, appointed by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, considers cases involving such MPs and may impose a range of measures, including exclusion from the Parliamentary estate and a ban on Commons-funded travel. The panel’s decisions remain confidential.
The Metropolitan Police reported that Spencer attended a voluntary interview at a London police station on March 13, 2025, as part of the ongoing investigation.
Spencer, who was first elected to Parliament in 2024 with a majority of 4,290 votes, has worked in finance at IPGL, a private equity firm chaired by his father, Lord Michael Spencer, former Conservative Party treasurer. Before his election, he also served as a senior adviser at the Department for Education and worked at the Centre for Social Justice think tank.
In his maiden speech in July 2024, Spencer emphasized the need for moral probity and public spiritedness in politics, which he described as critical to restoring trust in the political system.
