MP seduced tourists, wined and dined them at Parliament, claims ex-minister

A book by former Tory cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell has made controversial claims about an unnamed MP who allegedly seduced female tourists at an art gallery and lured them back to his flat for sex.

In his book, "Beyond A Fringe," Mitchell claims that the MP would prey on beautiful women by posing as an art expert. He would take them out for dinner at the Commons before inviting them home "for a nightcap."

The "tall, handsome and immaculately turned out," MP would then send them on their way the following morning, claims the new book.

"Early each Wednesday morning he would take himself off to the Tate Britain art gallery, along the Embankment from the Palace of Westminster, where he would study at length and assiduously the dominating work of art that featured on that day," reads an excerpt from the book.

"Armed with a coffee, he would then sit and wait until an attractive tourist – usually American – hove into view and started gazing approvingly at the picture," it adds.

"Thoroughly engaged, the woman would marvel at the MP's knowledge of art, enquiring whether he was an art critic. 'Not at all,' he'd say, 'I'm a member of the House of Commons.'"

"Eyes wide, the woman would then find herself invited to the mother of parliaments: 'I happen to have a spare ticket for Prime Minister's Questions today. Might you be free to come and watch?," Mitchell writes.

He then goes on to claim that sometimes instead of taking the woman to parliament, the MP would make an excuse and ask the woman if she would like to have dinner with him.

Mitchell adds: "And so matters would take their course. Our American would be wined and dined in the splendour of the Commons Churchill Room restaurant, heading off afterwards to the honourable member's well-appointed Westminster pad, conveniently situated close to the House, for a nightcap."

He also said that the MP's parliamentary colleagues in the 1990s were aware of his behaviour. A report in The Independent claims that the MP is still thought to be alive.