As Boris Johnson Drops The Investigation Into Mark Field, Here’s A Really Uncomfortable Picture Of Him Kissing Jeremy Hunt’s Wife

A few weeks ago Teresa May put Mark Field under investigation following his behaviour at a dinner. Mark Field was filmed pushing, pinning and grabbing a woman by the neck after she attempted a peaceful protest of the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech.

Boris Johnson has now dropped the investigation into his ‘instinctive’ violence towards a female activist.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'Mark Field has now left the government. The current PM considers this issue was a matter for the previous PM concerning his conduct during his time as a minister under her appointment.

Field had been suspended from his role at the FCO but was allowed to retain the Conservative party whip.

When you look for images of ‘Mark Field conservative MP’ on professional photography service Getty Images, there are just three results. One professional headshot, one image of him ecstatic watching Jeremy Hunt kiss his wife Lucia Hunt on the cheek, and another, of him grabbing Lucia by the head and passionately kissing her – seemingly on the mouth.

In the background, men look on awkwardly smiling, some seeming to enjoy the show, others clearly uncomfortable from their side-eye glances. It’s a shocking image to come across when searching for a political figure. An MP looking as if he’s zealously snogging a woman in front of a crowd of fellow professional colleagues? ‘What in the world?’, you think, clicking on the image to investigate further. And then, as you read the caption, this rollercoaster ride takes another huge turn,

‘Lucia Hunt (R), wife of Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, is kissed by Conservative MP Mark Field as she attends the launch of her husband's Conservative party leadership campaign in London on June 10.’

I’m sorry, this is not the wife of the man whose kissing her? On its own, that would be weird to see given the context – and the enthusiastic nature of the kiss – but when you realise this is actually Jeremy Hunt’s wife (you know, the woman he referred to as Japanese when she’s actually Chinese)?! It’s ludicrous.

That’s when, looking at this image, you go from shock and awe to instant stomach-turning. You can just imagine the scenario in which a situation like this happens for a woman. You go to greet your husband’s colleague. Moving in, you expect to plant a gracious kiss on his cheek, and suddenly he lunges, pulling you into him with one hand on your back, the other on the side of your head, and feverously kisses you on the mouth.

A room full of white men look on, some titillated, others turning away from the uncomfortable moment. You move on to greet your husband, while the man who just lunged at you laughs in the background, watching excitedly as you are kissed on the cheek by the man you’re married to.

Of course, we don’t know the circumstances that surrounded this kiss, but what is strange is that no one reported on it. This is the launch of Hunt’s leadership campaign, there are plenty of other politicians and press there, and yet only the Metro reported the uncomfortable moment earlier this month.

‘The mother-of-three, 41, was animatedly embraced by one of her husband’s backers, foreign office minister and Tory MP Mark Field, during an event to launch his campaign yesterday,’ they wrote.

As with today’s case of physical violence towards a female activist – where fellow Tory MP’s have told those outraged by the incident to ‘calm down’ - we've clearly seen inappropriate behaviour towards women by Mark Field minimised on more than one occasion.

People in positions of power ignoring an incidence of violence towards a woman, glazing over a blatant invasion of a woman’s personal space and dignity, powerful men going on to enjoy the privileges of their unobstructed life regardless of how they treat women: sounds like another day at the office for women everywhere.