Nadine Dorries calls for William Wragg to be investigated over Westminster honeytrap scandal
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Nadine Dorries has urged the Commons standards chief to investigate William Wragg as the row over the suspected Westminster honeytrap scandal continues.
Mr Wragg gave up the Tory whip on Tuesday after admitting to handing over colleagues’ phone numbers to a man he met on Grindr, a gay dating app, having sent him intimate pictures of himself.
Around 20 Westminster figures including several MPs, parliamentary assistants and political journalists were later sent flirtatious texts, and in some cases explicit images, from senders using the aliases “Charlie” or “Abi”.
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The Westminster honeytrap scandal
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Dorries urged Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary standards commissioner, to launch a full investigation into Mr Wragg, who is now sitting as the independent MP for Hazel Grove.
The former culture secretary said: “The standards commissioner will surely have to announce an investigation into Wragg very soon.
“My money is on when he does, Wragg will resign his seat and stand down to avoid his actions being scrutinised and having to face the standards committee.”
Senior Cabinet figures had backed Mr Wragg before his decision to “voluntarily relinquish” the Conservative whip. These included Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, who hailed his apology over the scandal as “courageous and fulsome”.
Richard Holden, the Tory chairman, said on Monday it was right he had chosen to give up the whip but Labour claimed Downing Street’s refusal to suspend him was “another indictment of Rishi Sunak’s weakness”.
Mr Wragg has said he was “scared” and “mortified” when he divulged contact details for his colleagues, and that the man who approached him had “compromising things” on him.
But on Wednesday some senior Tories suggested his behaviour was evidence of double standards after he played a leading role in backbench efforts to remove Boris Johnson from office following the Downing Street parties scandal.
In February, Mr Wragg also led efforts to oust Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, after his handling of a vote on a ceasefire in Gaza descended into chaos.
A former Cabinet minister questioned what “the William Wragg of a week ago” would make of “the William Wragg of today”.
“My sympathy is not enormous, because of the way he has behaved towards other people,” they said. “I don’t think any politician wants to set himself up as being Mr Pious, because none of us are without our faults.”
A second Westminster source said: “I think it is unfortunate that he has painted himself as a beacon of morality during partygate and then this happens.
“But he’s made a mistake, he’s suffering the consequences and, in terms of outcome, I’m not sure what more anyone wants.”
A Tory MP who is a friend of Mr Wragg argued it was “time to move on” now that he had resigned the whip, adding: “This is a man who has apologised and over the years he’s really struggled with his mental health.
“He’s sincerely apologised. Don’t kick a man while he’s down.”
Mr Wragg has spoken at length about his struggles with anxiety and depression.
He became one of the first MPs to confirm they would quit the Commons at the next election, announcing in August 2022 he would be ending his political career to focus on “banishing the black dog”.
Password picture
Meanwhile, Mr Wragg, who became the MP for Hazel Grove, in Greater Manchester, in 2015, appeared to accidentally reveal his Parliament WiFi password last month, by having it pinned up on the wall while he did a photoshoot at his desk with a national newspaper.
Photographs used in an interview with The Observer show Mr Wragg sitting at his desk with several pieces of paper on the wall, one of which appears to show his internet password.
The code – “Parliament2015!” – can be seen on House of Commons notepaper to the right of him in the photographs.
It’s not clear whether the photograph was taken in his parliamentary office, constituency office or elsewhere. It potentially raises further questions about Mr Wragg’s judgment when it comes to cyber-security measures.
The Observer has been contacted for comment.
