William Large resigns Tory whip after Westminster sexting scandal

Senior MP William Wragg has resigned as Tory whip after admitting giving politicians’ phone numbers to alleged scammers.

The whip’s office said he “voluntarily gave up the Conservative whip” after he resigned as deputy chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee and chairman of the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

The Hazel Grove MP has previously announced his intention to leave the council at the next election and will now serve as an independent.

Mr Large admitted last week that he gave a colleague’s phone number to someone on a dating app because he feared his intimate photos would be leaked after he became the target of a parliamentary sexting scam.

Scotland Yard said it was investigating reports of a so-called “honey trap” scam after it emerged that at least 12 men in politics had received unsolicited messages, raising security concerns.

The investigation is not believed to involve security services.

The unidentified scammer allegedly used the aliases “Charlie” and “Abi” when sending flirtatious messages to trick MPs into sending explicit images.

Large said he was sorry for being “weak” in his response, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt praising the apology as “brave and substantial”.

But pressure has mounted in recent days amid concerns about parliamentary security, with critics across the political spectrum questioning Mr Large’s conduct.