Editing Michael Fallon (section)

====Allegations of sexual harassment, inappropriate behaviour and resignation====
{{See also|Weinstein effect}}
In late October 2017 it was reported that Fallon had repeatedly and inappropriately touched journalist [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]]'s knee during a dinner in 2002.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rayner|first=Gordon|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/31/defence-secretary-sir-michael-fallon-admits-touching-female/|title=Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon admits touching female radio presenter's knee at a dinner|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=31 October 2017|access-date=1 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102085206/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/31/defence-secretary-sir-michael-fallon-admits-touching-female/|archive-date=2 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Hartley-Brewer recalled that after Fallon kept putting his hand on her knee, she "calmly and politely explained to him, that if he did it again, I would punch him in the face".<ref>{{cite news |title=Michael Fallon 'apologised for touching journalist's knee' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41812281 |work=BBC News |date=31 October 2017 |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930092553/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41812281 |url-status=live }}</ref> Fallon resigned two days later believing his "previous conduct" towards women had "fallen below" what is acceptable.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41838682|title=Fallon resigns as Defence Secretary over behaviour claims|work=BBC News|date=1 November 2017|access-date=1 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101193505/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41838682|archive-date=1 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Hartley-Brewer expressed shock at the resignation, saying: "I didn't feel it was something that needed any further dealing with".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/insane-absurd-and-ridiculous-journalist-julia-hartleybrewer-touched-on-knee-by-michael-fallon-a3674196.html|title=Journalist touched on knee by Fallon calls resignation 'insane'|work=Evening Standard|access-date=2018-04-22|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423040620/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/insane-absurd-and-ridiculous-journalist-julia-hartleybrewer-touched-on-knee-by-michael-fallon-a3674196.html|archive-date=23 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

It was subsequently reported Fallon had been forced to resign in part due to an allegation of inappropriate and lewd comments towards fellow Conservative MP [[Andrea Leadsom]] when they both sat on the Treasury Select Committee. He was also accused of making comments of a sexual nature about other MPs on the committee and members of the public who attended hearings.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watts |first=Joe |date=3 November 2017 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-fallon-andrea-leadsom-accuse-sexual-harassment-resign-conservative-defence-secretary-tory-a8034991.html |title=Sir Michael Fallon resigned after Andrea Leadsom accused him of sexually inappropriate language |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=3 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103084925/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-fallon-andrea-leadsom-accuse-sexual-harassment-resign-conservative-defence-secretary-tory-a8034991.html |archive-date=3 November 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The former political editor of ''[[The Independent|The Independent on Sunday]]'', [[Jane Merrick]], said in ''[[The Observer]]'' in early November 2017 that Fallon was the previously unnamed Conservative MP who had "lunged" at her a decade and a half earlier. She had contacted Downing Street about the incident several hours before he resigned.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merrick |first=Jane |date=4 November 2017 |title=I won't keep my silence: Michael Fallon lunged at me after our lunch |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2017/nov/04/michael-fallon-lunged-at-me-jane-merrick |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |access-date=5 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105002843/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2017/nov/04/michael-fallon-lunged-at-me-jane-merrick |archive-date=5 November 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Observer'' reported on the same day that "the revelation was the tipping point for No 10, which ... had been compiling a list of alleged incidents involving Fallon since claims against him were first made."<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/04/michael-fallon-defence-secretary-sexual-harassment| title=Revealed: Why Michael Fallon was forced to quit as defence secretary| newspaper=The Guardian| date=4 November 2017| last1=Doward| first1=Jamie| access-date=27 January 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105002836/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/04/michael-fallon-defence-secretary-sexual-harassment| archive-date=5 November 2017| url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2019, Fallon announced he would not seek re-election at the [[2019 United Kingdom general election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/sevenoaks-mp-michael-fallon-step-3285958|title=Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon is to step down after more than 31 years in Parliament|work=Kent Live|date=4 September 2019|access-date=5 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905020216/https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/sevenoaks-mp-michael-fallon-step-3285958|archive-date=5 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>