The former Tories minister said he “decided to revoke my statement” in defense of Hahn after a Wakefield MP was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy. Mr Blunt added: “I’m sorry that my defense against him has been a source of great concern and concern, especially to victims of sexual offenses. “It was not my intention to do that.” He also resigned as chairman of the Pan-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for LGBT + global rights. “To be clear, I do not condemn any form of abuse and I strongly believe in the independence and integrity of the judiciary,” he added. The lawmaker also removed a post from his website claiming that Khan had been the victim of a “terrible judicial error” – which had also referred to the verdict as an “international scandal”. Hahn was ousted from the Tory party after the verdict, and Blunt had come under enormous pressure from top Conservatives at the party headquarters to withdraw his statement. Shortly before Mr Reigate deleted his statement on Tuesday, a senior Tories source said his views were “completely unacceptable” and “we expect the statement to be withdrawn first thing in the morning”. Apparently not impressed by his apology, the LGBT + Conservative group said it had suspended Mr Blunt as patron, pending an inquiry and a vote by members. “Whether the comments have been withdrawn or not, yesterday Crispin Blunt’s statement was an inappropriate, misjudgment and in the present circumstances we do not consider it appropriate for Crispin to remain one of our guests,” the team said in a statement. The Labor Party condemned Mr Blunt’s “shameful” defense of Khan. Labor MP Chris Baird said the Conservatives should launch an investigation and remove the whip from Mr Blunt in the meantime. “The Conservative Party needs to do a proper investigation into what Crispin thought he was doing,” he told Sky News. “It undermines parliament… when a legislator decides that a court has behaved completely inappropriately.” Asked by the Times if Mr Blunt’s apology closed a line on the issue, Mr Bryant said: “I do not think so”, adding that he had shown a “complete lack of judgment”. The Labor MP added: “This is a series of cases that we had, where the Conservative MPs suddenly defended their colleague and the victim was probably left out in the cold. “It was true in the Charlie Elphicke case. And it is true in this case again.” Labor leader Anneliese Dodds has called on Boris Johnson and Tory leader Oliver Dowden to take action against the former minister. Prior to his resignation, members of the APPG for LGBT + Global Rights – including Mr Bryant and SNP Stewart McDonald and Joanna Cherry – had stated that they were leaving the party. Responding to the apology, the APPG said members were “shocked” by Mr Blunt’s personal comments and explained that an “extraordinary general meeting” would soon be held to elect a new president. It took a Southwark Crown Court about five hours to decide that Khan, 48, was guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage boy, now 29, in 2008. The court heard how Khan forced the then teenager to drink gin and tonic, dragged him up, pushed him on a bed and asked him to watch pornography before the attack on a house in Staffordshire in January 2008. However, in a revoked statement posted on his website on Monday, Mr Blunt said the jury’s decision in Khan’s case was “nothing less than an international scandal”. Mr Blunt, who emerged as gay in 2010, had also claimed that the case was “based on lazy trophies for LGBT + people” and argued that the result had “tremendous wider implications” for LGBT + Muslims “around the world ». He and fellow Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley, the father of the Communities, appeared in court on Monday, while a third Conservative MP, Adam Holloway, had earlier given a statement of character used as part of Khan’s defense. Asked about Mr Blunt’s comments – and if the government distanced itself from them – Secretary of Defense James Heappey said: “Yes… it’s not something the government’s connected to.” The minister told Sky News on Tuesday: “In a court yesterday Mr. Khan was found guilty and I think every one of us who believes in the judiciary and the rule of law must respect this decision.” Mr Heappey also said there were now “mechanisms” through which Khan could be removed from office and a renewal forced – with regard to revocation requests. He added: “The way parliament works is that you are elected as an individual, so its seat in the House of Commons is its own until it personally chooses to vacate it.” A Conservative spokesman said: “A jury of Mr Khan’s colleagues has found him guilty of a criminal offense. “We completely reject any allegations of misconduct against our independent judiciary, jurors or Mr Khan’s victim.” Khan’s legal team said it planned to appeal the sentence. Mr Bryant said: “I think if I were in his position, I would resign and not wait for everyone to wait for the appeal. He can fight his appeal outside parliament if he wants to. “But I do not think he will ever be able to come back to represent his constituents properly.”
