Shapps was party chairman until May’s general election, and has been accused of failing to act on claims of bullying and abusive behavior in the Conservatives’ youth wing.
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“The board wishes to ensure that its investigation into events surrounding Elliott’s death and the alleged activities of Mark Clarke and others is, and is seen to be, timely, objective, and comprehensive and independent from the chairman, CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) staff and party volunteers”.
Former Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi has disclosed that she sent Mr Shapps a letter, dated January 20 this year, accusing Mr Clarke of publicly abusing her on Twitter.
Shapps has been replaced by Nick Hurd as the British government’s worldwide development minister. Queen Elizabeth II “has been pleased to approve the appointment”, it added.
Mr Cameron, who is in Malta for a Commonwealth summit, said: “I feel deeply for his parents”.
Earlier this month it was claimed that Mr Halfon was the subject of a blackmail plot which emerged as he admitted to a relationship with a Tory campaigner.
Shapps has faced continued criticism over his appointment of the disgraced Clarke to run the party’s “road trip” campaign bus, which Johnson joined as an activist and blogger, ahead of May’s election.
They are concerned party officials will take written statements and search for evidence.
Mr Cameron said an independent lawyer would oversee the inquiry process.
The inquiry was set up following the suicide of Elliott Johnson, 21, who had made an allegation of bullying against Mr Clarke, who denies all the claims made against him.
Mr Johnson’s father Ray has said that Lord Feldman should also stand down over his handling of the case.
“Over the past few weeks – as individual allegations have come to light – I have come to the conclusion that the buck should stop with me”, Shapps said in a letter to Cameron.
Mr Clarke was expelled from the party for life last week.
With the spotlight now likely to turn on Lord Feldman, a key Cameron ally, Downing Street insisted the peer retained the Prime Minister’s “full confidence”. Having declined before to say if it would make any of the report public, the party has now said it will publish the main findings and recommendations.
He said the party’s board was too big and unwieldy, and there was a need to examine “the structures and the values by which we operate, the mission for the people who work and volunteer in the Conservative party and how we lead them, and what we expect acceptable behaviour and attitudes should be”.
Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) said: “Andrew Feldman is a decent guy who was critical in helping our party win the Election”.
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He wrote: “In July 2014 I gave a second chance to former candidate Mark Clarke”.
