Tory MP: Nigel Evans allegation ‘a misunderstanding’

Mr Evans, the former deputy speaker of the House of Commons, is alleged to have groped a young man, who was sleeping on the settee at his home in Pendleton, Lancs.

But Mr McLoughlin, who is now the transport secretary, said he understood the matter to be a “misunderstanding” not a sexual assault, the jury heard, when told about the incident in July 2009.

The young man claims he went to sleep on the settee at Mr Evans’ home and awoke to find the MP groping his penis, the court heard.

But the jury heard a different account of what the complainant then told senior Tories about the alleged incident at a meeting called to discuss the matter.

Mr McLoughlin told of the meeting in his Commons office on 6 July 2009, shortly after the incident, with the complainant, John Randall MP, the assistant chief whip, and Iain Corby, a Tory research chief.

‘A really big ask’

Mr McLoughlin told the jury: “He had been drinking, Nigel had been drinking and said an incident had taken place. I don’t remember him going into exact details of what the incident was, although he may have done.

“I asked him what he wanted and he said that he wanted Nigel to not stand at the next general election.

“I remember saying that was a really big ask considering what he had said to me but we need to see where things went.

“He did seem to change his mind at some stage, he wanted Nigel to apologise and he would regard that as sufficient.”

Mr McLoughlin, the MP for Derbyshire Dales, said he next spoke to Mr Evans about what had gone on.

“I think Nigel said things had got out of hand and he was apologetic for that.

He was asking him to give up his entire parliamentary career on what I could see was a misunderstanding – Patrick McLoughlin

“I remember saying to Nigel ‘you have got to be careful about how much you drink, you have got to watch your drinking habit’.”

It was an “open secret” in Westminster that Mr Evans was gay but he had not “come out” publicly and his “repressed” sexuality may have had something to do with the incident, the court heard.

Mr McLoughlin continued: “I recall saying to Nigel, I think you should make a public statement about being gay, but that was a matter for Nigel to take himself.”

Mr McLoughlin stressed he told the young man if he wanted to take the matter further with the police he was free to do so but that was a matter for him.

Peter Wright QC, defending Mr Evans, asked the witness about the complainant saying the MP should stand down.

Mr McLoughlin said: “He was asking him to give up his entire parliamentary career on what I could see was a misunderstanding.

“I thought that was a huge demand given the nature of the complaint.”

‘Out of character’

Meanwhile Tory MP Michael Fabricant told the jury he thought it was “out of character” when he heard the allegation about his “good friend” Mr Evans.

Mr Fabricant was told of the allegation shortly after by Adam Price, a Plaid Cymru MP.

He told the jury: “I remember fairly well what he said, mainly because it seemed to me out of character for the Nigel Evans I knew. That’s why I remember that conversation.”

Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, asked the MP: “What was being sought?”

Mr Fabricant said: “Mainly action of some sort and some advice.”

He said he called the opposition whips office at the commons and spoke to John Randall MP, a deputy whip.

Mr Fabricant said he could not recall having a telephone conversation with the complainant, though telephone records suggested a call took place between them.

The MP said part of the whips’ job was the “pastoral care” of MPs.

“I believe that’s one of the more important roles of the whips and intelligence gathering. It’s not like House of Cards, if you have seen that programme.”