A former Tory MP who was at the centre of the Westminster ‘honeytrap’ scandal has claimed the ordeal ruined his career and mental health.
William Wragg became embroiled in a sinister ordeal a few months ago after giving his colleagues’ phone numbers to a suspected scammer he met on the dating app Grindr.
The former MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester stood down from his role after admitting to exchanging explicit pictures with a person calling themselves ‘Charlie’, who later used the images to blackmail him.
In his first interview since the stepping down, Mr Wragg has now told the Sunday Times that the scandal caused his mental health to spiral and decided to check himself into a hospital after experiencing suicidal thoughts.
He added that he started to ‘go off the rails’ and began drinking heavily due to the guilt and shame of falling for the suspected scammer.
Former Tory MP William Wragg who was at the centre of the Westminster ‘honeytrap’ scandal earlier this year claimed the ordeal ruined his career and mental health
The former MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester said he had been targeted by a suspected scammer who met on the dating app Grindr (stock image)
Mr Wragg first began speaking to ‘Charlie’ on Grindr and was immediately recognised as being an MP.
He said: ‘It started simply with “hello” and a brief introduction. He immediately responded and said he recognised me. He said: “You are Will Wragg the MP.”
‘I said, “Yes I am”, and “I hope that is not going to be a problem”, and he said, “No, no, not at all”.’
Charlie told Mr Wragg he was his 20s and worked at a cancer charity, adding that he was a ‘Westminster aficionado’.
After moving their conversation onto WhatsApp, the pair began sharing nude photographs and later began talking to each other over the phone.
Wragg said he began to ‘fall’ for Charlie due to his ‘cocky and assertive’ attitude and was convinced it was the start of a serious relationship.
But after a few days, things suddenly took a turn when Charlie began asking for MPs phone numbers and threatened to blackmail Mr Wragg if he did not hand them over.
William Wragg MP, member of the United Kingdom Parliament for Hazel Grove, speaking at the Grassroots Out campaign event in Manchester on February 5 2016
The former MP said: ‘He gave me several names and said, “You’ve got two minutes to give me their numbers.”
‘I said, “Are you joking?” You know? “You’re joking, aren’t you?” “No, I’m not joking”. ‘
Mr Wragg said he reluctantly handed over the numbers of around a dozen people after feeling ‘compromised’ and ‘threatened’ by what Charlie might do.
Those colleagues, including MPs, staffers and a journalist, were then allegedly sent flirtatious messages from people claiming to be ‘Charlie’ or ‘Abi’. Two MPs allegedly sent back explicit photos, the Times reported.
The former backbencher said: ‘I came home one evening and I just burst into tears and was shouting and swearing,” he said. “I didn’t feel in control of myself.
‘I drank heavily because – and I almost can’t articulate this clearly enough – of an almost loss of agency. I bottled everything up. I didn’t say a word to anybody.’
After news of the scandal circulated across the UK media, Mr Wragg decided to come forward and admitted giving his colleagues’ phone numbers to a suspected scammer.
He later stepped down from the role of vice-chair of the 1922 Committee and ‘voluntarily’ gave up the Conservative whip.
Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden said at the time it was ‘right’ for Mr Wragg to resign the Conservative whip.
Mr Holden told Sky News: ‘He has issued a fulsome apology, he has resigned from the 1922 Committee executive, he has resigned a role as chair of PACAC, which is an important committee in Parliament, and he has also given up the Conservative whip.
‘I think we already knew he wouldn’t be standing at the next election, he is standing down, so yes, I think that’s the right thing to have done.’
Asked whether Mr Wragg had jumped or been pushed, Mr Holden said the then-independent MP had ‘made his decision’ – adding: ‘It’s quite clear his career in public life is at an end.’
William Wragg was first elected to the House of Commons as MP for Hazel Grove, the Greater Manchester village where he grew up, at the tender age of 27
After admitting his role in the scandal, Mr Wragg said he was unable to sleep because of the guilt and horror that he felt and began having ‘intrusive thoughts’.
He said: ‘It got to about 4.30am and I was having very intrusive thoughts. It wasn’t just like feeling down. It was worse than I’ve ever felt, to the extent that I was thinking of the methods I could use to end it all.
‘I thought, “This is bad” — but there was just about enough in me that said, “Right, go to hospital”, and I’m so glad I did, because that’s when I started getting the help that I needed.
‘And, you know, ultimately I think the thought in my head was, “No matter how much pain I’m in at the moment, I can’t put that onto other people, such as my parents and close friends. I can’t”.’
Mr Wragg was later told to take several months off work following the traumatic ordeal but now hopes he can ‘move on’ from it.
In June, detectives investigating the honeytrap plot arrested a man on suspicion of harassment and offences under the Online Safety Act.