Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he “feels sorry” for a Tory MP facing sexual harassment allegations.
David Warburton was suspended by the party on Saturday, before the revelations appeared in several Sunday newspapers.
An investigation into the claims by three women has been launched by parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.
The Sunday Times also reported allegations that Warburton, the MP for Somerton and Frome, had taken cocaine, and that he had failed to declare a £100,000 loan from a Russian businessman.
The married father-of-two told the Sunday Telegraph: “I have enormous amounts of defence, but unfortunately the way that things work means that doesn’t come out first.
“I have heard nothing whatsoever from the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme. I’m sorry, I can’t comment any further.”
Asked about the story on LBC radio, Rees-Mogg, whose constituency borders Warburton’s Somerton and Frome seat, said: “I obviously feel sorry for somebody on a personal level but it’s really important that the inquiry is carried out and people feel safe working in Parliament.
“There’s a need for personal sympathy but there is also a need for a proper process to be followed.”
Mr Rees-Mogg said it was “really important that people who are worried about their working relationship in parliament have an independent body that they can go to.”
Warburton was first elected in 2015 with a majority of 20,268, or 53% of the vote. According to the MP’s website, at 18.3%, this represented the largest constituency swing to the Conservative Party.
He was re-elected in 2017 and 2019, with majorities of 22,906 and 19,213, respectively.
He is the current chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Music and was previously a member of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee.