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Image source, UK Parliament
William Wragg has stepped down as vice chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, after sharing MPs’ personal phone numbers with someone on a dating app.
It is also likely that he will quit as the chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Last week, Mr Wragg told the Times he had been targeted by a suspected Westminster honeytrap plot.
The Met Police has confirmed it is investigating reports of unsolicited messages being sent to MPs.
The Politico website has reported that up to 20 people in political circles have received suspicious texts.
In the past few days, two Conservative MPs – as well as some Westminster journalists – have publicly said they had been targeted.
Those targeted also include the MP for Bosworth, Luke Evans, who said he had contacted the police after becoming “a victim of cyber-flashing and malicious communications”.
Morley and Outwood MP Andrea Jenkyns said she also received messages and labelled Mr Wragg an “idiot for compromising security”.
Speaking to the Times last week, Mr Wragg said he was “mortified” adding: “I’m so sorry my weakness has caused other people hurt”.
He said: “I got chatting to a guy on an app and we exchanged pictures.
“We were meant to meet up for drinks, but then didn’t. Then he started asking for numbers of people. I was worried because he had stuff on me.
“They had compromising things on me. They wouldn’t leave me alone.
“They would ask for people. I gave them some numbers, not all of them. I told him to stop. He’s manipulated me and now I’ve hurt other people.”
The 36-year-old became an MP for the Greater Manchester constituency of Hazel Grove in 2015.
During his time in Parliament, he served as the vice chair of the influential 1922 Committee which represents the views of Conservative backbench MPs and oversees leadership elections.
In 2022, he announced that he would not be standing in the next general election, expected this year.
Mr Wragg has not been suspended as a Conservative MP and some MPs have privately expressed surprise that Mr Wragg has not lost the Conservative whip. It was previously reported at least one Tory MP has contacted the whips’ office to say he should be suspended from the parliamentary party.
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