A current cabinet minister and a senior Downing Street aide have been accused of sexual misconduct.

The allegations have come from two separate Tory party staff members, according to Sky News.

The first woman told the broadcaster: “I was sexually assaulted by someone who is now a cabinet minister. I was in my early 20s and didn’t really know how to deal with it.”

She added: “I was super drunk, he is feeding me more wine and I am already quite obviously tanked, but after a while I was like ‘You know what? Would you mind if I just went to bed?’ So I went to bed, but obviously he didn’t leave me alone.”

The woman later told colleagues and the MP she was working for. They encouraged her to go to the police.

After some initial discussions with the police, however, she chose not to proceed any further and did not make a formal complaint to the party.

She explained: "I was too scared to kickstart that process and risk it spiralling out of control."

She believes there is "nothing that I can do without putting my career in jeopardy" and "ruining my life".

The second woman said she was working at a party event when she was groped by a senior No 10 aide, adding: “I turned around and this guy was just looking right at me.”

She complained and raised it again when the man was due to get a senior job in Downing Street, but “nothing happened”.

She also said that the aide’s boss, after hearing the allegation, dismissed it because the accused person was “good looking and had women throwing themselves at him”.

 

Responding to the first allegation, a Conservative party spokesperson said: "We have an established code of conduct and complaints procedure where people can report complaints in confidence. We take any complaint seriously."

A government spokesperson said: "We take allegations of misconduct extremely seriously and there are robust procedures in place to raise concerns.

"All ministerial appointments also follow established processes."

Responding to the second accusation, a Conservative party spokesperson said: "If an allegation of criminal wrongdoing is raised, we would always advise the individual to contact the police."

A government spokesperson said: "All prospective government employees are subject to necessary checks and vetting. We do not comment on individuals."

 

Boris Johnson has just three days left in office. His downfall was sparked, in part, by his failure to handle accusations of inappropriate behaviour by former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.