Police drop rape case against ex-MP Crispin Blunt

No further action will be taken against a former government minister after he was placed under investigation on suspicion of rape.

Crispin Blunt, 64, who served as a justice minister between 2010 and 2012 and was formerly MP for Reigate in Surrey, was arrested in Horley in Surrey in October 2023.

Surrey Police said on Thursday there was "insufficient evidence to proceed" and that "no further action" would be taken.

The force said that a man in his 60s and another in his 50s will remain under investigation on suspicion of possession of controlled substances pending further inquiries.

Mr Blunt said at the time of his arrest he would "co-operate fully" with the investigation and was "confident" he would not be charged.

He was elected as Conservative MP for Reigate in the 1997 general election, defeating the incumbent Sir George Gardiner, who had switched from the Tories to the Referendum Party.

He served as a justice minister from 2010 to 2012, in the whips' office when the Conservatives were in opposition and chaired the influential Foreign Affairs Committee.

He apologised in 2022 for "significant upset and concern" caused by his defence of MP Imran Ahmad Khan, following his conviction for sexually assaulting a teenage boy.

Mr Blunt had the Tory whip withdrawn following his arrest and stood as an independent MP.

He did not contest the 2024 general election.