UK PM back in crisis mode after foreign tour

Tory deputy chief whip Chris Pincher resigned after reportedly groping two men in a private London club

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned Friday from an overseas tour straight into a new crisis after another senior Conservative was forced to quit his scandal-hit government.

The embattled leader found his ruling Tories mired in more controversy about sexual impropriety shortly after he landed back in Britain Thursday from a NATO summit in Spain.

Reports said he had been accused of groping two men in front of others at the exclusive Carlton Club in London, prompting complaints to the Conservatives.

Conservative MP Neil Parish resigned in April after watching pornography on his mobile phone in the House of Commons.

Johnson himself has been embroiled in various scandals, including the so-called "Partygate" affair. Tory lawmakers held a no-confidence vote in early June that he narrowly survived.

- 'Survival mode' -

Meanwhile, the country continues to struggle to adapt to Brexit and is risking a possible trade war with the European Union by unilaterally overhauling the special deal it agreed with the bloc for Northern Ireland.

"We've got a problem on trade, (a) problem on Northern Ireland, a problem with labour shortages, the pound's significantly devalued, business investment is down," former Labour prime minister Tony Blair told the BBC late Thursday. 

Johnson returned home after nine days of globetrotting that saw him attend three international summits, including a Commonwealth gathering in Rwanda and G7 meeting in Germany.

Pincher's resignation within hours of that immediately refocused attention on persistent claims of Tory sleaze.

"The prime minister has accepted the resignation and thinks it was right for him to resign," Johnson's deputy spokesman told reporters, amid a barrage of questions about Pincher.

Sources close to Johnson initially said Pincher's resignation settled the matter, with no further action required by the party.

The only two Conservative female chairs of parliamentary watchdog committees had written to Heaton-Harris urging Pincher be suspended. 

Pincher only became deputy chief whip in February, when Johnson reportedly defied warnings from other Tories about his behaviour.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said the scandal again raised "serious questions" about Johnson's judgment.

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