Conservative MP Patrick Spencer has been found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault after a trial at a criminal court in London. A jury of eight men and four women reached their decision on 17 July 2026 after discussing the case for just over seven hours (BBC News).

Spencer, 38, represents Central Suffolk and North Ipswich in Parliament. He had been accused of touching the breasts of two women in two separate incidents at the Groucho Club, a private members' club in central London, in August 2023. He denied both charges, and the jury cleared him on both counts.

The case began in June 2025, when Spencer first appeared in court and entered pleas of not guilty (Reuters). The case was then sent to a higher court for a full trial.

When the charges were brought, the Conservative Party removed Spencer from its group of MPs in Parliament. This is known as "having the whip suspended." It meant that while the case was going on, he sat as an independent rather than as a Conservative (The Guardian).

During the trial, the court heard details of what was alleged to have happened at the Groucho Club. Spencer gave evidence defending himself. He denied a prosecution suggestion that he had fist-pumped in celebration after one of the alleged incidents (Sky News).

When the not guilty verdicts were read out, Spencer sobbed with relief and hugged his wife in the courtroom (BBC News).

The case drew attention because Spencer is a sitting MP — a member of Parliament currently in office — and he had been removed from the Conservative group while the charges were pending.

The broader context for Westminster is familiar but uncomfortable. Allegations of sexual misconduct against MPs have come up repeatedly in recent years. Each case raises a difficult question: how do you respect an MP's right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, while also protecting the reputation of the political party? The usual approach has been to remove an MP from the party group when charges are brought, and wait until the legal process finishes before deciding what happens next.

Spencer's acquittal now puts that approach to the test. The Conservative chief whip — the person in charge of party discipline — will need to decide whether to let Spencer rejoin the Conservative group of MPs, and how quickly. The party has not yet said what it plans to do. For Spencer, the acquittal ends the criminal case entirely, but the political fallout may take longer to settle.