THE Scottish Tory MP accused of drunkenly groping other men in a Commons bar has promised to give his constituents a full account of his actions.
In his first TV interview since police responded to a report of “sexual touching” on February 5, Ross Thomson told the BBC: “I’m going to talk to people about exactly what did happen.”
READ MORE: Tory MP accused of 'drunken grope' may avoid probe
The Aberdeen South MP is currently facing an inquiry by the Conservative party’s own disciplinary panel, and potentially from Westminster’s Standards Commissioner.
Mr Thomson, who denies the allegations against him, said it would be inappropriate to comment while any inquiries were still live.
However he gave a commitment to explain himself once they were over.
Mr Thomson, 31, has dodged the media since police were called around 11pm to the Strangers’ Bar at Westminster last week, where he had been drinking.
Officers said they spoke to three men in their 20s and 30s, but there were no formal allegation made and no one was arrested.
One eyewitness later told the Herald Mr Thomson had been “paralytically drunk”, while another said they saw the MP groping the crotch of a man in his mid to late 20s.
READ MORE: Aberdeen MP Ross Thomson 'removed from Westminster pub by police'
Mr Thomson was asked outside his constituency office what happened that night.
He told BBC Scotland: “I would be more than happy to sit down with you at some point, to talk to exactly about happened, and what the last few weeks have actually been like.
“But given that there could still be a really live process on right now, it would be inappropriate to comment.”
Asked if his constituents deserved to know what happened, he said: “Absolutely, which is why I’m more than happy to sit down with you. We will do that.
“I’m going to talk to people about exactly what did happen, what happened over the last few weeks, and how it’s been.
“I am committed to my constituents, which is why I’m in the office today, working on the issues that are really important to them.”
Asked if he would stand for re-election, Mr Thomson, who was elected in 2017, said he would continue to serve the people of Aberdeen South for as long as they voted for him.
It emerged on Thursday that a complaint filed with Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone by a parliamentary researcher could fall at the first fence because of a technicality.
The Times reported three sources claiming it had been dismissed because it had been filed on behalf of another person, and Ms Stone does not investigate such complaints.
Mr Thomson said: “I’ve had no confirmation from the Commissioner’s office that a complaint has in fact been dismissed. I did refer myself to the party’s internal investigation, and I’m still awaiting clarity on that too.”
The Commissioner does no comment on whether she has received a complaint, nor comment when an investigation is underway.
It was also reported this week that the Westminster authorities had been asked to release CCTV footage from the bar on the evening in question.
The political website Guido Fawkes, which first reported the allegations against Mr Thomson, said one of those in the pub had asked under the General Data Protection Regulations.
Mr Thomson, a former MSP, said last week: “A series of allegations have been made against me that have featured in the media.“I would like to state that these allegations from anonymous sources are completely false.”
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