Chris Pincher

The Right Honourable Chris Pincher
Official portrait, 2020
Government Deputy Chief Whip Treasurer of the Household
In office 8 February 2022 – 30 June 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Stuart Andrew
Succeeded by	Kelly Tolhurst
In office 9 January 2018 – 25 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Esther McVey
Succeeded by	Amanda Milling
Minister of State for Housing
In office 13 February 2020 – 8 February 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Esther McVey
Succeeded by	Stuart Andrew
Minister of State for Europe and the Americas
In office 25 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Alan Duncan
Succeeded by	Wendy Morton
Senior Whip Comptroller of the Household
In office 15 June 2017 – 5 November 2017
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Mel Stride
Succeeded by	Chris Heaton-Harris
Member of Parliament for Tamworth
In office 6 May 2010 – 7 September 2023
Preceded by	Brian Jenkins
Succeeded by	Sarah Edwards
Personal details
Born	(1969-09-24) 24 September 1969 (age 54) Walsall, Staffordshire, England
Political party	Independent (since 2022)
Other political affiliations	Conservative (1987–2022)
Alma mater	London School of Economics
Occupation	IT consultant

Christopher John Pincher^[1] (born 24 September 1969)^[2] is a British former politician and member of the Conservative Party who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamworth from 2010 until his resignation in 2023.^[3] Pincher served as Government Deputy Chief Whip, and Treasurer of the Household from 2018 to 2019 and from February to June 2022.

Pincher was first elected as the Conservative MP for Tamworth at the 2010 general election, when he gained the seat from the Labour Party.^[4] He first contested the seat in 2005.^[5] He served as a parliamentary private secretary to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond from 2015 to 2016.^[6]

Pincher served as an assistant whip and Comptroller of the Household in 2017, before he resigned after being implicated in the 2017 Westminster sexual misconduct allegations, having been accused of sexual misconduct by Tom Blenkinsop and Alex Story. Two months later, in January 2018, he was appointed by Theresa May as Government Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household. After Boris Johnson became prime minister in July 2019, Pincher was appointed Minister of State for Europe and the Americas. In the February 2020 cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed Minister of State for Housing. In February 2022, he returned to his former role of Government Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household.

After allegedly groping two men while he was drunk, Pincher resigned as Deputy Chief Whip on 30 June 2022, and had the Conservative whip removed.^[7] This triggered a scandal over his appointment to the role, as Johnson knew about the allegations but did not dismiss him, leading to a government crisis that ultimately resulted in Johnson's resignation. Pincher continued to sit as an MP for another year, but did not make any further contributions in the House of Commons.

Pincher announced in April 2023 that he would stand down at the next UK general election.^[8] In its investigation of his conduct, the Commons Select Committee on Standards censured Pincher in a report published on 6 July 2023, labelling his actions profoundly damaging both to the reputation of Parliament and his victims, and an abuse of power. The committee recommended Pincher be suspended from Parliament for eight weeks.^[9] On 7 September 2023, he announced his imminent resignation as an MP, which triggered the 2023 Tamworth by-election.^[3]