'I shouldn't have done it': Michael Fabricant admits 'rape arrest' tweet was a mistake
Michael Fabricant has admitted he should not have posted a tweet appearing to make light of a fellow Tory MP being accused of rape.
The Lichfield MP said he likes "to mix serious politics with humour" after he was accused of treating the case as a "laughing matter".
Mr Fabricant tweeted he was expecting a “strong turnout” of Tories attending Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday to prove they are not the as-yet unidentified man told to stay away from Parliament.
“I’ll be there!” Mr Fabricant added, followed by the 'winking face with tongue' emoji.
He defended the tweet after a dressing down by the Tory whips and a Cabinet minister criticising the “idiotic” remarks for making “light of a really serious situation”, but subsequently deleted the post.
Speaking about the tweet on GB News, Mr Fabricant admitted it was a mistake.
He said: "In hindsight I shouldn't have done it but... I like to mix serious politics with a little bit of humour."
Scotland Yard has bailed the unnamed accused MP, pending further investigation into a string of allegations including sexual assault, indecent assault, abuse of position of trust and misconduct in public office.
Earlier this week Tory chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris urged the MP to stay away from Parliament, but has not suspended the whip, meaning the suspect remains a member of the parliamentary party.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner was one of a number of politicians to criticise Mr Fabricant's tweet, describing it as "grotesque".
