This century, sadly.
Interesting that in the article quotes from Andrew Speed (the chairman of the Bury St Edmunds Conservative Association) and a member of the Bury St Edmunds Conservative Association called Bernard Sergeant both said (basically), it's a fuss about nothing, he didn't do anything wrong, this definitely isn't domestic violence, it's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other, the only people who say this was wrong a feminist loons, a good man could lose his job over this blah etc (honestly mind-boggling).
Meanwhile Jenny Antill, a Conservative councillor who lives in the nearby constituency of South Suffolk and is chairman of the Suffolk Domestic Abuse Partnership said to the first guy "Do you agree that David Ruffley accepted a police caution for common assault on his then partner at his London flat earlier this year? If so, in what way does this not constitute domestic abuse?"
A really good example of why it is better to try and increase the number of women in positions of power irrespective of the colour of their politics. Here we have 3 tories, the two men say so he hit her so what no problem and the one woman says hold on that's not OK WTF are you on. Paraphrased a bit there 
Still.
He should go and now, obviously.