Mark Menzies has introduced he is not going to be standing on the subsequent basic election and has resigned from the Conservative Get together.
The information days after allegations the MP misused Conservative Get together marketing campaign funds emerged.
Menzies misplaced the Tory whip over the allegations, all of which he has denied.
In an announcement, Menzies mentioned: “It has been an unlimited privilege representing the folks of Fylde since 2010, however as a result of pressures on myself and my aged mom, I’ve determined to resign from the Conservative Get together and won’t stand on the forthcoming basic election.
“This has been a really troublesome week for me and I request that my household’s privateness is revered.”
The Instances reported final week that Menzies rang a 78-year-old celebration activist at 3.15am saying he had been locked up.
He mentioned he wanted £5,000 “as a matter of life and loss of life” to pay for his launch.
He’s alleged to have informed her: “I’ve received in with some unhealthy folks they usually’ve received me locked in a flat they usually need £5,000 to launch me.”
The entire sum then climbed to £6,500, and was settled by the MP’s workplace supervisor from her private checking account.
She was reportedly reimbursed with celebration funds from Tory donors.
In an announcement to The Instances launched final week, Menzies mentioned: “I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I’ve absolutely complied with all the foundations for declarations.
“As there may be an investigation ongoing, I cannot be commenting additional.”
A Conservative Get together spokesperson confirmed on Sunday that its investigation had concluded there was not a misuse of celebration funds.
It mentioned the cash in query was signed off by two signatories of Fylde Westminster Group, which is exterior of the primary celebration’s remit.
But, the spokesperson added: “We do consider that there was a sample of behaviour that falls beneath the requirements anticipated of MPs and people taking care of donations to native marketing campaign funds which lie exterior the direct jurisdiction of the Conservative Get together.
“We’ll subsequently be commencing with retraining people throughout the celebration on how one can handle these accounts which fall exterior of the remit of the Conservative Get together and are introducing a whistleblowing helpline.”
The spokesperson added that there was a advice that the actions of Menzies could have “breached Nolan principals of public life”.
“That is as a result of nature of the allegations made, but additionally the repetitive nature of those separate allegations. These can be reviewed by the Conservative Get together’s member governance crew,” the spokesperson mentioned.
During the last week, the Conservative Get together had been criticised for supposedly being conscious of the allegations in opposition to Menzies for 3 months however not taking any direct motion.
In line with PA information company, the Labour Get together wrote to Lancashire Police final week calling for an investigation into allegations of fraud and misconduct round Menzies.
The Tory Get together spokesperson mentioned: “We’ll in fact share any info with the police in the event that they consider it will be useful to any investigation they determine to undertake.
“Recommendations the celebration has not been critically analyzing this matter are demonstrably false as we’ve labored to guard the identities of all these concerned while the details could possibly be established.”
As soon as he misplaced the whip, Menzies turned the 18th MP to take a seat as an impartial within the Home of Commons – eight of whom had been elected as Conservatives in 2019.
He’s now one in all 5 former Tories who is not going to be standing on the subsequent election.