“It’s important that when the process is ongoing, we don’t immediately cast aspersions on the motives of alleged victims,” she said.

“One of my main concerns about this is that there are three women who have come forward with allegations which on the face of it are very serious sexually inappropriate behaviour.

“Victims have to have confidence to come forward with allegations and complaints and to know that they will be investigated effectively and swiftly.

“It’s imperative that this is reported in the light of those allegations, rather than trying to cast Mr Warburton as a victim.”

The Telegraph understands that after it was suggested that the claims could be the result of an intervention by a foreign power, officials have referred the matter to MI6 out of an abundance of caution.

Intelligence sources indicated that the agency had not yet begun to examine the claims.

MP suffering ‘severe shock and stress’

The MP’s wife, who is also his communications manager, on Sunday said he had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for “severe shock and stress”, adding: “This has been sheer hell.”

The 56-year-old father of two is being investigated by the IGCS for allegations of sexual misconduct by two former parliamentary staffers, and by the Conservative Whips’ Office for both the assault claims and the accusation that he had taken cocaine.

At the flat of a third woman, Mr Warburton is accused of snorting “line after line after line” of the Class A drug, before allegedly stripping naked, climbing into her bed and groping her.