The Tory party was today accused of “protecting” an MP accused of watching porn in the Commons.
Party whips are under increasing pressure to suspend the MP but have so far left allegations to be dealt with by an independent complaints process.
The probe, by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), could last for years and will allow the accused MP to remain anonymous.
Now the party is facing accusations that it is “shamelessly” dragging its feet and “hiding behind process”.
Anneliese Dodds, chair of the Labour Party, said it was “inexplicable” that the Conservative Party was “refusing to take action” against their MP.
“The Conservatives already know who this person is,” she added.
“If this happened in any other workplace they’d be sacked. Boris Johnson needs to take action today.”
Wera Hobhouse, the Lib Dem women and equalities spokesperson, said: “The Conservatives are shamelessly dragging their feet. They would rather hide behind process and allow this toxic behaviour to go unpunished instead of standing up for women.
“Enough is enough. Tory whips know who did it - they need to stop protecting him and come clean on who it is so he can face justice.”
One Tory MP Nickie Aiken said the individual should resign because they were causing “pain, suffering and embarrassment” to the Tory party and parliament.
Meanwhile, her colleague Caroline Nokes said she was “disappointed” that party whips had not already suspended him.
The chair of the women and equalities select committee told PoliticsHome the decision to refer the allegations to the ICGS showed the government was “kicking it into the long grass”.
It comes after separate claims that 56 MPs are currently facing sexual misconduct investigations, including three cabinet ministers and two shadow cabinet ministers.
Asked about sexism she had faced in parliament, cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan today revealed she was once pinned up against a wall by a male MP.
She told LBC some of the sexism she had faced included: “A number of years ago being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the house, I’m pleased to say, declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man.”
The Tory party’s chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris has called for the case to be referred to parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) which investigates allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct.
The disciplinary process could lead to a recommendation that the MP is suspended or forced out of the commons if a complaint is upheld.
The Conservative Party has been approached for comment.