In the lead up to this week's by-election to find his replacement, the former MP for Somerton and Frome, David Warburton, has described the parliamentary system that precipitated his resignation as a 'dreadful and abusive' system in which an individual is 'presumed guilty until proven innocent'.

Mr Warburton, a member of the Conservative party, was suspended in April 2022 following allegations of sexual misconduct. He voluntarily left his post as an MP the previous month after confessing to drug use, whilst staunchly denying any allegations of sexual misconduct.

The by-election to choose his successor will take place this coming Thursday.

The woman who accused Mr Warburton of sexual misconduct has retracted her accusations after the parliamentary standards group admitted that the initial investigation that found Mr Warburton guilty was flawed and would need to be redone.

The House of Commons Independent Expert Panel (IEP) had earlier this month called for a review of the allegations after identifying inadequacies in the original investigation. However, they refrained from passing judgement on the allegations themselves, stating that these issues remain unresolved.

However, a spokesperson for the House of Commons confirmed on Sunday that "the investigation will no longer be proceeding".

Mr Warburton decided to step down from his MP role after his suspension from the Conservative whip, asserting that he was denied a fair hearing by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme (ICGS) over claims that he behaved inappropriately towards women.

He has acknowledged his use of cocaine subsequent to consuming 'incredibly potent' Japanese whisky, but he refutes any accusations of harassment.

The IEP has now verified that all allegations against Mr Warburton have been withdrawn and all investigations have been concluded. They revoked the rulings of both the Parliamentary Commissioner and the ICGS, decreeing that 'the claim that the complaint was fabricated ought to be investigated by parliamentary investigative authorities'.

The IEP's decision included a verdict from its chair, former Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Stephen Irwin, who deemed the parliamentary investigations against Mr Warburton as 'inadequate' and 'procedurally flawed' for having 'overlooked evidence', and upheld an appeal that it was 'materially flawed'.

The ICGS has communicated to Mr Warburton that 'we view the matter as closed' and that 'the complainant has withdrawn her complaint'.

Mr Warburton said: "I know it's incredibly uncommon for the Independent Expert Panel to completely support an MP's appeal.

"Obviously, I'm overjoyed but the past year has been extraordinarily difficult for my family and myself, with the personal toll being incalculable.

"Consequently - and in order to expose the appalling injustice I have endured - I have been compelled to resign as an MP."

With the claims against Mr Warburton now dismissed, he is no longer subject to any investigation. This means that out of the three lengthy investigations he has faced over the past 15 months, the first was concluded and cleared, the second was closed with all claims dismissed, and the third has now been dropped with all allegations withdrawn.

Mr Warburton was elected as MP for the Somerset constituency in 2015, achieving the country's largest swing to the Conservatives. He was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of over 19,000. The by-election to find his replacement is scheduled for Thursday, 20 July.