Tory MP accused of rape told he can return to the Commons in September

A Tory MP who was arrested on suspicion of rape has been told he can now return to the House of Commons when parliament reconvenes on September 1.

The MP, who has yet to be named but is understood to be a former Tory minister now in his fifties, has had his bail extended to November, the Sunday Times has revealed.

He was arrested on August 1 on suspicion of offences including rape, sexual assault, and assault.

The Tory Party has so far refused to suspend the MP saying that it was 'down to police' to finish their probe before taking action.

Labour slammed the decision, warning it risked 'undermining public faith in our politics' and posed a safeguarding issue for staff in Westminster.

The alleged victim, a woman in her twenties and former parliament staffer, claims the Tory MP attacked her in Westminster and around London between July last year and January.

On Saturday night, the Metropolitan police issued a statement saying it would be setting up a specialist team to oversee the investigation, adding that bail had been 'extended to early November 2020'.

This means the MP will be under investigation when he returns to parliament in September.

Last week, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner wrote to the Tories, saying: 'Suspension would help protect others by making them aware of the allegations he faces and it would also show that the Conservative Party takes safeguarding concerns seriously.'