Former Labour MP Simon Danczuk has described an allegation of rape against him as “totally false”.
The 50-year-old strongly denies the claim, made by a woman in Manchester on Monday, over an alleged incident in Westminster last May.
Danczuk, who plans to fight his former Rochdale seat as an independent in the General Election, said the timing of the allegation was “deeply suspicious”.
“The Metropolitan Police have not been in touch with me about this,” he told The Sun.
“It is a totally false allegation and I look forward to the police clearing it up.”
He repeated his denial to the Mail Online and added: “I can’t help but find the timing of these allegations deeply suspicious.
“There is only a day to go before candidates have to submit nomination papers and some people desperately want to stop me.”
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “On Monday, 8 May 2017, officers from Greater Manchester Police referred an allegation of rape to the Metropolitan Police.
“A woman has alleged that she was raped by a man in his 50s.
“The incident is alleged to have occurred in May 2016 at a location in Westminster.
“Detectives from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command have been notified and will investigate.
“No arrests have been made and enquires continue.”
Danzcuk was suspended by the Parliamentary Labour Party in December 2015, pending an investigation into allegations concerning his conduct, but continued to serve as an independent MP.
He resigned from the party on Monday after he was barred from standing for Labour in Rochdale, a seat he had held since winning it from the Liberal Democrats in 2010, on June 8.