Tory MP accused of assaulting pregnant wife may now lose his seat

A London MP arrested for allegedly attacking his pregnant wife is now facing deselection by the Tory party, it has emerged.

Andrew Pelling, 48, the MP for Croydon Central, was arrested after a complaint by his 26-year-old second wife Lucy.

Mrs Pelling, who is seven weeks pregnant, declared that their marriage was finished and that she had left the family home.

But her husband's political career also hangs in the balance after senior Tory sources made clear that he had yet to be reselected to fight the seat he won in 2005 from Labour.

"He is not our candidate yet," one source said.

Croydon Central is a highly marginal seat which Mr Pelling won with a majority of only 75 votes.

Labour is keen to retake the constituency to prove Gordon Brown has turned his party's fortunes around.

What would have normally been a straightforward reselection process is now set to be embroiled in Mr Pelling's legal and marital troubles.

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The MP, who is also a member of the London Assembly, triggered concern among some within the party when he left his first wife and three children to set up home with Lucy.

Lucy Pelling said the marriage had been "unhappy" from the moment it began and her priority now was her unborn child.

"There is absolutely no way I am going back. I have spoken to my solicitor about a divorce and have been told I can't file until we have been married for a year, but I intend to divorce Andrew as soon as I am able.

"I will stay at my parents' home indefinitely. They have been incredibly supportive.

"I can't go into any details because I don't want to prejudice a possible court case."

Mr Pelling married Lucy after leaving his first wife, Sanae, in 2005 shortly after winning his seat at the general election.

The couple, who were married for 16 years, have three children, Alice, 21, Elizabeth, 18, and Alexander, 16.

Lucy met the MP while she was working for his election campaign and they married in November last year. Richard Chatterjee from the local Conservative Association described Mr Pelling as "a good public servant", adding: "The matter is in the hands of the police now and that's all I can say."

This is not the first time Mr Pelling's private life has seen him pushed into the spotlight.

His ex-wife, Sanae, hit out at him after he ended their marriage while she was visiting her dying father in Japan.

She said: "He treated me like a doormat. As far as he was concerned I was there to raise his children and cook his food.

"His only love is politics."

Mr Pelling has been released on bail until 1 October.