It’s a day ending in ‘y’ – which means it’s more bad news for Rishi Sunak. The beleaguered Tory premier had a relatively good day on Wednesday, celebrating falling inflation and a punchy performance in parliament. But today’s Times brings news that another Tory MP has lost the party whip while its claims about alleged misuse of campaign funds are being investigated.
Mark Menzies, the MP for Fylde since 2010, is facing allegations that he made a late-night call to a 78-year-old aide asking for help because he had been locked up by ‘bad people’ demanding thousands of pounds for his release. According to the Times, £14,000 given by donors for use in Tory campaign activities was transferred to Menzies’ personal bank accounts and used for private medical expenses.
Menzies is also said to have called his former campaign manager at 3.15am in December, claiming he was locked in a flat and needed £5,000 as a matter of ‘life and death’. The sum, which rose to £6,500, was eventually paid by his office manager from her personal bank account and subsequently reimbursed from funds raised from donors in an account named Fylde Westminster Group, it is alleged. The Conservative party is now looking into the claims and says it is taking them seriously.
A spokesperson for the Chief Whip, Simon Hart, said last night that: ‘Mark Menzies has agreed to relinquish the Conservative whip, pending the outcome of an investigation.’ For Rishi Sunak, it never rains but it pours…
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