The Tory MP at the heart of a Westminster sexting scandal has stood down from two top Commons posts.
William Wragg, the MP for Hazel Grove, has resigned as the chair of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACA) and vice chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs.
Mr Wragg, who was first elected to parliament in 2015 at the age of 27, apologised last week after admitting to The Times that he had shared MPs’ personal phone numbers with a person he met on a dating app.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it is investigating following reports that a number of “unsolicited messages” were sent to MPs over recent months.
The MP, who has already announced he is standing down at the next election, told the newspaper: “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.
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“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. He gave me a WhatsApp number, which doesn’t work now. I’ve hurt people by being weak.
“I was scared. I’m mortified. I’m so sorry that my weakness has caused other people hurt.”
There have been reports this week that a serving minister, some MPs, party staffers and political journalists were among those who received unsolicited messages from two unknown WhatsApp users.
