Who is Andrew Griffiths, why did he resign as business minister and who’s the MP’s wife?
The former adviser to Theresa May was forced to quit as business minister after it emerged he sent scores of explicit text messages to two women
A SLEAZE probe could see shamed MP Andrew Griffiths kicked out of Parliament after he repeatedly sexted two barmaids in his constituency.
Here's what we know about Theresa May's former adviser and what disciplinary action he is likely to face.
Who is Andrew Griffiths?
Andrew Griffiths is a married Tory MP who became the latest minister to be caught up in a Westminster sex scandal.
He was previously best known for leading a campaign to get more women elected to Parliament.
The 47-year-old, born on October 19, 1970, was formerly a banker before embarking on a career in politics in 2010.
Since then, he has served as an adviser to Theresa May and held a key Treasury role before joining the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
He has been the MP for Burton since 2010.
Who is he married to and does he have any children?
Griffiths is married to his wife Kate and the couple live between London and their Burton constituency.
They tied the knot in 2013 and had their first child in April 2018.
The couple named their daughter Alice Harriet, who Griffiths described as a "little miracle".
Following Alice's birth, the MP publicly praised NHS staff for their work during her delivery.
Why did Andrew Griffiths resign as business minister?
Andrew Griffiths was forced to quit his post on July 15, 2018, after sending two thousand sex texts to two barmaids within the space of three weeks.
According to reports, the married minister called himself "daddy" in the explicit messages, in which it's claimed he also asked the women to describe degrading sex acts.
Apologising for the "untold distress" to his family, Griffiths resigned.
The politician, who became a father in April, revealed he was "deeply ashamed" over the scandal.
At a meeting of his local party in August, he was told his fate will be decided after the investigation is over.
One councillor said: "There’s only one outcome. He has to step down for the sake of the party."
But after he was let back into the Tory fold, MP Jess Phillips took it upon herself to read out the disgusting texts.
On December 12 the Burton MP was allowed to have the party whip back so he could vote for Theresa May in the leadership contest.
She read out Mr Griffith's texts to colleagues today in the Commons, saying: "'She's so cute, so sweet, I can't wait to beat her. Can she take a beating?' Not my words Mr Speaker, the words of the MP for Burton."
She went on: "Last night the Leader of the House's party gave him and the MP for Dover the whip back without any due process.
"What message does this send about any process here in this place can ever be trusted?"
Griffiths us still under investigation from Parliament's standards watchdog.
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Could he be thrown out of the party?
In October 2018 it emerged that Griffiths was being investigated into whether he brought Parliament into disrepute.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is currently conducting the probe, .
Mr Griffiths, who quit the Government after his sexting past was revealed in July, could be temporarily banned from sitting as an MP.
If he gets a ban of ten days or more, voters in his Burton constituency will have the chance to kick him out of office.
Such a long ban would trigger a "recall petition", with a by-election taking place if 10 per cent of local voters sign it.
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