Allegations that the MP Mark Menzies misused marketing campaign funds have been referred to Lancashire police. The pressure stated it was reviewing the out there data after receiving a letter “detailing issues round this matter”.
The PA information company understands that the Labour occasion chair, Anneliese Dodds, wrote to Lancashire police calling for an investigation into the allegations about Menzies.
The Fylde MP misplaced the Conservative whip and was suspended as considered one of Rishi Sunak’s commerce envoys after the Occasions revealed claims that he had used political donations to cowl medical bills and repay “dangerous individuals” who had locked him in a flat and demanded 1000’s of kilos for his launch.
Menzies disputes the allegations. The Tory occasion stated it took the claims severely and was wanting into them.
Labour stated the Tories “sat on their arms” for greater than three months after discovering out concerning the claims, whereas the Liberal Democrats known as for the prime minister’s impartial adviser on ministers’ pursuits to research the dealing with of the row.
Menzies’ former marketing campaign supervisor, who allegedly acquired a late-night cellphone name from him asking for money, has stated she felt “let down” by the occasion after she raised issues with the chief whip, Simon Hart.
Menzies is claimed to have known as 78-year-old Katie Fieldhouse at 3.15am someday in December claiming he was locked in a flat and wanted £5,000 as a matter of “life and demise”.
The sum, which rose to £6,500, was ultimately paid by his workplace supervisor from her private checking account and reimbursed from funds raised from donors in an account named Fylde Westminster Group, it’s alleged.
The Occasions additionally reported that £14,000 given by donors for Tory marketing campaign actions was transferred to Menzies’ private financial institution accounts and used for personal medical bills.
Fieldhouse stated she grew to become annoyed with the way in which the Conservative occasion dealt with her grievance after she reported her issues to Hart in January. “I put my religion utterly within the occasion … Nothing occurred – I heard nothing … I’m appalled,” she informed the BBC.
“I work myself into the bottom for the occasion. All they hear is a 78-year-old little outdated girl. The occasion has let me down.”
On Friday night time the Occasions reported that Fieldhouse had claimed she was informed by a senior Tory official that the occasion had acquired authorized recommendation suggesting the allegations towards Menzies amounted to fraud.
She stated: “He informed me on the cellphone: ‘The solicitor stated it’s fraud, however you aren’t duty-bound to report it as a result of it’s not Conservative occasion cash.’”
The chief of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, stated Sunak’s impartial ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, ought to look into the dealing with of the row.
He stated: “It seems that the chief whip, Simon Hart, knew quite a bit about this and didn’t take motion, and when you have a look at the ministerial code, it requires him to do this.
“And so the Conservatives have actually failed. And subsequently, I feel there’s a function and job for the ethics adviser to research.”
The Labour chief, Keir Starmer, informed broadcasters: “Within the final 24 hours we’ve got came upon that the federal government was informed months in the past about this, they usually appear to have sat on their arms.
“In the event that they thought they might sweep this underneath the carpet by some means, they had been clearly very mistaken, and that’s the reason I feel there are very severe questions now that have to be answered. Not simply by the person, but in addition by the federal government on this.”
Sunak declined to say whether or not Menzies ought to give up as Fylde MP. The prime minister informed reporters after a speech in London on Friday: “It’s proper that Mark Menzies has resigned the Conservative whip.
“He’s been suspended from his place as a commerce envoy whereas the investigations into these allegations proceed. For our half, I can’t touch upon our ongoing investigation whereas it’s taking place, and he’s not a Conservative MP, as I stated.”
In an announcement to he Occasions, Menzies stated: “I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I’ve totally complied with all the principles for declarations. As there’s an investigation ongoing, I cannot be commenting additional.”
A Conservative occasion spokesperson stated: “The Conservative occasion is investigating allegations made concerning a Member of parliament. This course of is rightfully confidential. The occasion takes all allegations severely and can at all times examine any issues put to them.”
A spokesperson for Hart stated Menzies had “agreed to relinquish the Conservative whip, pending the result of an investigation”, which means he would now sit as an impartial MP.