A British Conservative MP found guilty this week of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy has announced he is resigning, triggering a by-election in his Wakefield, Yorkshire seat.
Imran Ahmad Khan said in a statement posted on Twitter that it was “intolerable” for his constituents not to be represented properly while he fights the conviction.
The Wakefield constituency was held by Labour from 1932 until Khan won it for the Conservatives in 2019.
On Monday, Southwark Crown Court found Khan guilty of groping the teenager at a party in Staffordshire in 2008.
He was immediately expelled by the Conservative Party, but initially said he would stay on as an MP.
Khan continues to deny the offence and has said he intends to appeal.