William Wragg admits to Westminster honeytrap plot role: How baby-faced MP was first elected to the Commons at just 27 and moved in with his parents to save for a house, before rising to top roles as a leading 'Partygate' critic of Boris Johnson

He's the baby-faced MP who holds a powerful role in the Tory party - but has now been embroiled in a Westminster honeytrap plot.

William Wragg was first elected to the House of Commons as MP for Hazel Grove, the Greater Manchester village where he grew up, at the tender age of 27.

He hit the headlines shortly entering Parliament at the 2015 general election when he revealed he had moved in with his parents because he couldn't afford a house.

The Brexiteer might still only be in his mid-30s but has become known as a Conservative 'grandee' due to his senior roles in both his party and the Commons.

He is vice-chairman of the powerful 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, and is also chair of the Commons' Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee.

Mr Wragg was among the leading critics of former PM Boris Johnson over the 'Partygate' scandal and also later submitted a letter of no confidence in Liz Truss.

The 36-year-old is due to join the Tory exodus from the Commons at the upcoming general election after previously announcing he won't be standing for re-election.

Mr Wragg last night admitted his role in the cyber honeytrap plot at Westminster after admitting he provided the personal numbers of influential Westminster figures to a man he met online.

He said he had handed over the details of colleagues to a man he met on the gay dating app Grindr after sending him intimate pictures of himself.

The select committee chair said he had handed over the details because he was 'scared' that whoever was behind the dating profile 'had compromising things on me'.

It followed reports that a number of sitting and former MPs had been contacted by an unknown number detailing prior meetings with politicians in efforts to acquire personal or sensitive information. 

The salacious WhatsApp messages were sent to Tory and Labour figures, both gay and straight, from a sender posing as 'Abi' or 'Charlie'.

What would start out as claims the pair had met soon escalated to the sending of naked pictures and requesting pictures back.

At least two MPs are believed to have reciprocated by sending intimate pictures of themselves.

Last night, as he revealed the details of his role in the scandal, Mr Wragg - who is openly gay - said he was 'mortified' and apologised for his 'weakness'.

He told The Times: 'I got chatting to a guy on an app and we exchanged pictures. We were meant to meet up for drinks, but then didn't.

'Then he started asking for numbers of people. I was worried because he had stuff on me. He gave me a WhatsApp number, which doesn't work now.

'I've hurt people by being weak. I was scared. I'm mortified. I'm so sorry that my weakness has caused other people hurt.'

Mr Wragg grew up in Hazel Grove and went on to work as a primary school teacher in state schools in Manchester.

He served as a local councillor for the Hazel Grove ward on Stockport Council between 2011 and 2015, before being elected as an MP.

Mr Wragg, at the age of 27, took the Hazel Grove seat from the Liberal Democrats at the 2015 general election to become the first Tory MP there since 1997. 

Less than a year after entering Parliament, Mr Wragg revealed he been forced to move back in with his parents because he couldn't afford to buy a house despite his £74,000 a year salary as an MP.

He told ITV that although he was 'paid extremely well' he had to move back home with his parents in the North West or face being trapped in a rented flat.

'I am part of that 'boomerang generation' myself,' Mr Wragg said.

'In a few years hopefully I will have saved up enough for a deposit. I know exactly what it is like. I have complete empathy with people in that position.

'There is no getting away from the fact we face a severe challenge on housing in this country.'

Mr Wragg campaigned for Brexit at the 2016 EU referendum and supported Andrea Leadsom to be Tory leader against Theresa May following David Cameron's resignation as PM.

He was re-elected as Hazel Grove MP at Mrs May's snap general election in 2017, and again at the 2019 general election after Mr Johnson had replaced her as PM.

In January 2020, Mr Wragg was elected as chairman of the Commons' Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee.

Now holding a senior position in Parliament, Mr Wragg became a leading Tory rebel against Covid lockdown restrictions as a top member of the Conservative backbench Covid Recovery Group.

As the 'Partygate' scandal engulfed Mr Johnson's premiership, Mr Wragg called for the PM to resign in January 2022 after his admission he attended a Downing Street drinks party during lockdown.

He branded Mr Johnson's position as PM as 'untenable'.

As vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee, Mr Wragg helped coordinate the Tory leadership election that followed Mr Johnson's eventual resignation as PM.

As Britain endured a heatwave in July 2022, Mr Wragg posted a picture on Twitter of himself and fellow 1922 Committee members surrounded by electric fans before one of the leadership ballots of Tory MPs.

He wrote: 'The heat is on.'

The next month, Mr Wragg revealed he was taking a 'short break' from his duties as an MP to recover from depression.

He said he hoped to return 'refreshed' and 'loving life and myself a little bit more'.

'I am resisting the temptation to give up entirely,' he wrote on Twitter. 'As such, I require a short break'.

'I know that how I feel is far from unique.

'I would say to anyone who feels similarly, that they should speak to someone they trust, seek and accept support.

'Do not assume those who are outwardly confident and successful are without doubts and despair.'

In October 2022, Mr Wragg thanked people on social media 'for all of your support recently', adding: 'I'm looking forward to steadily getting back into the swing of things.'

As the premiership of Ms Truss, who succeeded Mr Johnson as PM, began to collapse following her disastrous mini-Budget, Mr Wragg became the sixth Tory MP to call for her resignation.

He told the Commons he had submitted a letter of no confidence in Ms Truss, adding: 'I cannot go and face my constituents, look them in the eye and say they should support my great party. And the polls seem to bear that out.'

Ms Truss announced her resignation as PM a day later, to bring to an end her historically short term in Downing Street.

A month later, Mr Wragg announced he would not be standing for re-election as an MP at the next general election.

He said: 'It is a privilege to be the Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove.

'I have made the decision not to stand at the next election.

'I shall continue to represent constituents to the best of my ability in the meantime and thank everyone for their wonderful support over the years.'

He is among more than 60 Tory MPs to have already said they will quit the Commons at the general election.