Conservative MP Patrick Spencer denies sexual assault charges London court

Patrick Spencer, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, has denied two counts of sexual assault relating to incidents allegedly occurring at London's Groucho Club in August 2023, before he was elected to Parliament. The charges accuse Spencer of groping two women over their clothes at the private members' club, with prosecutors stating he approached both women separately and cupped their breasts without consent. Spencer appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, pleaded not guilty, and has been suspended from the Conservative Party, now sitting as an independent MP. His legal team has categorically denied the allegations and stated that he will robustly defend himself in court. The case has been sent for a preliminary hearing at Southwark Crown Court, with Spencer electing a jury trial set for July 14. Spencer's background includes work in finance at a private equity firm chaired by his father, followed by roles at the Centre for Social Justice think tank and the Department for Education.