Conservative MP Patrick Spencer, from Suffolk, has been indicted on two charges of sexual assault purportedly committed at London’s Groucho Club.
The charges stem from two purported events involving separate women at the elite members’ club in Soho in August 2023, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Patrick Spencer, the Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 16 June.
The 37-year-old’s solicitors stated he “categorically denies” the charges and “will vigorously contest the allegations in court”.
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party announced that Patrick Spencer has been suspended from the party and had the whip rescinded.
The Metropolitan Police stated that he was charged during a voluntary interview at a London police station on 13 March of this year.
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS special crime and counter terrorism division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service, we have authorised two counts of sexual assault against Patrick Spencer MP.
“The charges follow two alleged incidents involving two separate women at the Groucho Club in central London in August 2023.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Patrick Spencer was first elected to Parliament last year with a majority of 4,290.
It is understood he was asked not to attend the parliamentary estate by the Tory chief whip while police enquiries were ongoing.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The Conservative Party believes in integrity and high standards. We have taken immediate action.
“Patrick Spencer MP has been suspended from the Conservative Party, and the whip withdrawn, with immediate effect.
“The Conservative Party cannot comment further on an ongoing legal case.”
The Groucho Club, in Dean Street, opened in 1985 and became a renowned meeting place for A-list celebrities and others, including actors, comedians and media executives.
The club was named after the comedian and actor Groucho Marx, who reportedly once said he would refuse to join any club that would have him as a member.
It was originally set up as a more relaxed alternative to traditional gentlemen’s clubs, according to the venue’s website, which adds that members should be in the creative industry “and share the club’s maverick spirit”.
Before becoming an MP, Patrick Spencer worked in finance for private equity firm IPGL, a company chaired by his father, former Conservative Party treasurer Lord Michael Spencer.
He later took a job at the Centre for Social Justice thinktank before becoming a senior adviser at the Department for Education.
He made his maiden speech in the Commons in July last year during a debate on the MPs’ code of conduct relating to second jobs, during which he said the “most important thing to the people across my constituency” was “restoring a sense of moral probity and public spiritedness to our political system”.
Lawyers acting for the MP said in a statement: “Patrick Spencer categorically denies the charges.
“He has cooperated fully with the police investigation from the moment he became aware of it and he will defend the allegations robustly in court.
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