An MP going through allegations of misusing marketing campaign funds has give up the Conservative Social gathering and says he will not stand on the subsequent common election.
Mark Menzies made the announcement after claims surfaced in The Instances earlier this week that he used political donations to cowl medical bills and repay “dangerous folks” who had reportedly locked him in a flat and demanded 1000’s of kilos for his launch.
The backbench MP for Fylde in Lancashire disputed the allegations however was suspended from the Conservative parliamentary celebration whereas an investigation passed off.
In a press release, Mr Menzies stated: “It has been an infinite privilege representing the folks of Fylde since 2010, however because of the pressures on myself and my aged mom, I’ve determined to resign from the Conservative Social gathering and won’t stand on the forthcoming common election.
“This has been a really tough week for me and I request that my household’s privateness is revered.”
Lancashire Police stated it was reviewing “info” about Mr Menzies after Labour requested for an investigation.
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The claims surrounding Mr Menzies – which had been branded “jaw-dropping” by former Scottish Tory chief Ruth Davidson – got here to mild after the outgoing MP’s former marketing campaign supervisor, Katie Fieldhouse, spoke to the Instances.
Ms Fieldhouse claimed the Conservative Social gathering was conscious the allegations about Mr Menzies had been doubtlessly legal and alleged that the celebration’s chief of workers “informed me that once they first took over the investigation [from the Whips’ Office] that they had consulted solicitors”.
She added: “He informed me on the telephone, ‘the solicitor stated it’s fraud however you aren’t duty-bound to report it as a result of it is not Conservative Social gathering cash’.”
The whistleblower stated she was informed the choice to not inform the police was made as a result of it was donors’ cash and never the celebration’s.
The Tory Social gathering subsequently launched its personal inner investigation into the claims raised and whether or not there had been a misuse of its funds.
Mark Menzies’ resignation was inevitable following extraordinary allegations
-The allegations swirling round Mark Menzies are extraordinary.
Because the story emerged, Mr Menzies has been nowhere to be seen.
That was till he launched a press release on Sunday asserting he would step down on the subsequent election “because of the stress” on himself and his aged mom.
By then the police had been already trying into it and so too was the Conservative Social gathering.
There’s an necessary distinction to attract right here when speaking about misuse of funds.
Any cash that was allegedly paid got here from a neighborhood marketing campaign fund, the Westminster Fylde Group, not one formally related to the Conservative Social gathering.
Which is why the Conservative Social gathering has repeatedly stated they do not consider their funds had been misused.
In any occasion, it appeared inevitable that Mark Menzies needed to step down.
The longer he held on, the more severe it acquired for him and the celebration.
Now, come the subsequent common election one other secure Tory seat might be up for grabs.
The Conservatives, already behind within the polls, can do with out one other struggle on their palms.
‘We can’t conclude there was a misuse of Conservative Social gathering funds’
On Sunday a spokesperson stated the interior probe was now full and couldn’t conclude there had been a misuse of funds – however that it did establish a “sample of behaviour that falls beneath the requirements anticipated of MPs”.
“The cash in query that was despatched to Mark Menzies MP was signed off by the 2 signatories of Fylde Westminster Group,” the spokesperson stated.
“This physique sits outdoors of the remit of each the Conservative Social gathering and Fylde Conservative Affiliation. Subsequently we can’t conclude that there was a misuse of Conservative Social gathering funds.
“Nevertheless, 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 outdoors the direct jurisdiction of the Conservative Social gathering.”
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The spokesperson stated it could now be “commencing with retraining people throughout the celebration on learn how to handle these accounts which fall outdoors of the remit of the Conservative Social gathering and are introducing a whistleblowing helpline”.
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They stated a advice that Mr Menzies’ actions had breached the Nolan rules of public life – amongst them selflessness, integrity and honesty – would even be reviewed by the celebration’s member governance staff.
“We are going to after all share any info with the police in the event that they consider it could be useful to any investigation they determine to undertake,” they added.
“Ideas 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 may very well be established.”
Following the publication of the claims Mr Menzies agreed to surrender the Tory Social gathering whip, that means he now sits as an impartial MP within the Home of Commons and can achieve this till the subsequent election.
