Shocking gay sex texts of top Tory who bragged of 'cute boys' in the penthouse claimed on expenses

Details of salacious messages sent by Iain Corby were revealed last night

The Tory official exchanged messages with man on Grindr, gay dating app

They refer to 'cute boys', 'orgy', 'gay party', 'hottie MPs' and 'all in one bed'

These are said to be 'on offer' in hotel suite hired for Tory party conference

Messages name two Tory MPs: senior Minister and potential future leader



One of reasons Mr Corby quit as the head of Parliamentary Resources Unit



Bombshell details of salacious messages sent by a top Tory official on a gay dating service, referring to a sex party funded by Conservative MPs’ expenses, were revealed last night.

Messages the official exchanged with another man on Grindr, a gay dating app, refer to ‘cute boys’, ‘orgy’, ‘gay party’, ‘hottie MPs’ and ‘all in one bed’ said to be ‘on offer’ in a luxury hotel suite hired for Tory researchers at the party’s annual conference in Manchester.

The messages name two top Tory MPs: one of the most senior Government Ministers and an MP tipped as a future Party leader.

Partying: Details of salacious messages sent by a top Tory official on a gay dating service were revealed last week. The exchanges involved Tory official Iain Corby (pictured, left, with an unidentified man)

Insiders say there was near panic at 10 Downing Street when the Grindr messages were reported to David Cameron last month.



Connected: Mr Corby sent the messages to another man via Grindr. Above, the official's profile

He ordered an urgent investigation, which led to Mr Corby’s departure in an attempt to limit the damage.

The shocking disclosures came as:

Former Commons Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans, cleared of rape and sexual assault charges last week, called for action to stop public figures and celebrities being subjected to a ‘witch-hunt’ by ‘police zealots’ pursuing bogus claims.

Sacked Tory deputy chairman and ex-Minister Michael Fabricant revealed he reported Mr Corby to party chiefs after he was approached by PRU whistleblowers three years ago complaining about a ‘drinking culture’ – but was ignored.

It was revealed that Defence Minister Philip Dunne had been left furious when he saw Mr Corby in the PRU office, allegedly under the influence of drink.

It adds to a fevered atmosphere at Westminster, with wild, and for the most part, anonymous, claims that young gay researchers are bullied – or even drugged – into accepting sexual advances from MPs and other senior political figures under the threat of missing out on political careers.

The ‘sex party’ on MPs’ expenses at Manchester’s Light ApartHotel, where rooms cost up to £2,500 a night, was first revealed by The Mail on Sunday last week. At that stage, this newspaper faced legal restrictions over the amount of detail that could be reported.

Today we can reveal full details of the Tory PRU chief at the centre of the row – and of how claims that the PRU scandal was covered up for years forced No 10 to act.

The body responsible for MPs’ expenses and pay, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), is now investigating the hotel ‘sex party’.



Revealed: The exchanges involved Tory official Iain Corby and were one of the reasons he suddenly quit as head of the Westminster-based Parliamentary Resources Unit (PRU), which is paid for by MPs via taxpayer-funded expenses

An IPSA source expressed ‘deep worry’ at the allegations. IPSA has good reason to be concerned: the event was funded by money claimed from it by MPs.

Furthermore, it could have been a breach of IPSA rules to pay for the PRU accommodation at the Light ApartHotel, regardless of what went on there.

IPSA rules state ‘staffing expenditure may not be claimed for any party political activity.’ Nor can MPs claim expenses for ‘attendance at political party conferences’.

Scene: The comments refer to a luxury hotel suite at Manchester's Light ApartHotel (pictured), where rooms cost up to £2,500 a night. It was hired for Tory researchers at the party's annual conference in Manchester

Revealed: The 'sex party' on MPs' expenses at the hotel was first revealed by The Mail on Sunday last week

The PRU is a team of 20, mainly young male and female researchers, whose job is to advise Tory MPs on all political issues, from climate change to potholes.

Each Tory MP pays the PRU £4,000 a year for research services. The MPs claim it back from IPSA as an expense.

One researcher, Anthony Pickles, quit after a year working at the PRU, dismayed by its ‘drinking culture’.

‘Anthony flagged up his concerns very clearly but nothing was done,’ said a source. ‘He was appalled at the way people went out drinking.He did his best to draw it to the attention of the authorities.’

Speaking out: The shocking disclosures came as ex-Commons Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans (right) called for action to stop public figures being subjected to a 'witch-hunt', while former Minister Michael Fabricant (left) revealed he reported Mr Corby to party chiefs after being approached by PRU whistleblowers three years ago



Mr Pickles is now Chief of Staff of the Welsh Conservative Party.

To avoid blame for the PRU fiasco, Ministers were quick to point out last night that technically, the unit is not part of the Conservative Party.

It operates in Parliament and is answerable to a board of Tory MPs.

Senior Tory MP Oliver Heald, former chairman of the PRU, held an inquiry two years ago into the ‘sex party’ claims at the 2011 Tory conference in Manchester, and the allegation that Mr Corby was rude after returning to work under the influence of alcohol.

Mr Corby was given a formal warning.

Lurid orgy jokes, ra ting 'hottie MPs', a naked boy to 'keep his boss happy': How Ia in Corby used dating site Grindr to lure men to hotel... funded by you

Casual: The photo of Iain Corby in an open-necked shirt portrays a man at play, not at work

The message – accompanied by a ‘selfie’ – posted by Parliamentary Resources Unit (PRU) chief Iain Corby on gay dating app Grindr at the Tory conference in Manchester in 2011 seemed clear.

The photo of Corby in a casual, open-necked shirt, portrayed a man at play, not at work.



‘Open to offers!’ it announced. It appeared to be an open invitation to anyone else logged on to Grindr nearby to join him at his three-bedroom suite at the Light ApartHotel.

Helpfully, it gave details of Corby’s location and personal information: ‘The light hotel, 35 years old, 173cm, white.’



It even gave the hotel’s address, ‘20 Church St’.

There was only one problem: Corby and his PRU team are employed to advise Tory MPs on party policy and were there funded by taxpayers, via MPs’ expenses.



A very different type of ‘party’ features on Corby’s Grindr messages: a ‘gay party’.

Tory chiefs were well aware of Corby’s Grindr exchanges and his taxpayer-funded stay with a group of PRU aides at the Light ApartHotel.



They were alarmed by references to two well-known and powerful Tory MPs with close Downing Street links. Neither attended any sex party – or went to the Light ApartHotel. The Mail on Sunday has redacted all names in the Grindr messages.

When the Grindr claims were followed by allegations of a ‘heavy drinking culture’ in the PRU and unsubstantiated claims concerning gay sex and young male aides, Tory chiefs launched an official investigation after a complaint. Corby was given a warning.

Party chiefs congratulated themselves that a potential scandal had been swept under the carpet.

But it has come back to haunt them after word swept Westminster last month of a new Tory scandal involving the PRU. Two weeks ago, Corby resigned. The official reason was he wanted to ‘return to the commercial world’.

Gay dating app: The message - accompanied by a 'selfie' - posted by Mr Corby on gay dating app Grindr gave details of Corby's location and personal information: 'The light hotel, 35 years old, 173cm, white' (file picture)



Last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed the Grindr row – and this week we disclose full details.

Corby’s Grindr messages in Manchester start just before midday: ‘Enjoying the penthouse.’ It has the desired effect, soon afterwards, another Grindr user, who is not named, replies: ‘Penthouse? I’m only in standard.’

‘Yep. Top 2 floors. Quite nice!’ Corby replies.

The exchanges soon get more intimate. ‘Sharing with two colleagues but I chose the cutest boys from my team!’ says Corby, teasingly. ‘All in one bed!’ comes the excited reply.

' Tory chiefs were well aware of Corby’s Grindr exchanges and his taxpayer-funded stay with a group of PRU aides at the Light ApartHotel'

The steamy theme continues with a suggestion that a married Tory has cheated on his wife with a ‘girl’ in one room; references to ‘orgy!’ ‘your fit housemate’ and a named man who ‘did come to the gay party’. Corby’s anonymous respondent then quips: ‘Sleep to the top!’

It is at this point that the first senior Tory is referred to, apparently as a joke. Corby replies with mock outrage: ‘Oh please. I don’t need to sleep with MPs.’

His Grindr ‘playmate’ takes issue with him, stating some younger MPs are ‘hotties’, naming one whom he says he ‘likes’. He continues: ‘How about a trip up to your room later?’

Corby replies: ‘XXXXXX is just out of the shower walking around naked. He knows how to keep his boss happy even if he claims to be straight.’ Back comes the reply: ‘He wants a pay rise! Am I competing with him?’

It is not known what happened after the exchanges.

One member of the PRU who visited the Light ApartHotel during the 2011 Tory conference told The Mail on Sunday. ‘I didn’t see any sex parties when I was at the hotel, but rumours of wild goings on there were the talk of the conference.’