ON THE AGENDA…
- Free at last: As Trudeau and Johnson head in different directions, when might the pandemic end?
- Fast-tracked: Has Covid accelerated pre-existing trends in transport, consumer and working patterns?
- Punishing Putin? Will sanctions act as a deterrent?
ON THE PANEL…
- Sam Armstrong, Communications Director, Henry Jackson Society
- Andrew Lilico, Executive Director, Europe Economics
- Andy Mayer, Energy Analyst, Institute of Economic Affairs
- Ella Whelan, Journalist and Author
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A jury at Southwark Crown Court has cleared Sam Armstrong of raping a woman in Craig Mackinlay’s office.
The Met Police say they have charged Tory MP Craig Mackinlay’s researcher Sam Armstrong (above right) with rape following an alleged assault on the parliamentary estate:
“Samuel Armstrong, 23, was charged on Thursday, 2 March with two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration. He has been bailed to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 31 March.”
More trouble in Thanet…
CCHQ were warned months ago that they should sack Sam Armstrong, the Tory aide who has been arrested over an alleged rape in the Commons. Back in June Rob Halfon appealed to Lord Feldman to remove Armstrong from his job with South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay. Halfon told Feldman that Armstrong had attempted to blackmail him – something Armstrong denies – and said it was “ridiculous” that he was still being employed. Despite this, and despite the Tories banning Armstrong from party conference last year, they allowed Mackinlay keep him on the payroll and give him a parliamentary pass. Why did Mackinlay keep Armstrong in a job? Why did Feldman fail to act? Armstrong would of course have known a lot about the South Thanet general election campaign’s expenses – which is also currently under police investigation. This has the potential to blow up in CCHQ’s faces…
