18 April 2024 , 12:17
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A Tory MP has been suspended from the party while officials investigate claims he misused thousands of pounds of campaign funds.
Mark Menzies, a trade envoy who represents Fylde in Lancashire, used the money for medical bills and personal expenses, according to The Times.
The MP has disputed these allegations.
He has ‘agreed to relinquish the Conservative whip, pending the outcome of an investigation’, according to the spokesperson of chief whip Simon Hart, meaning he will sit as an independent.
The Times reported that Menzies made a 3.15am phone call in December to a party volunteer, 78, demanding £5,000 in party funds.
He was locked inside a flat by ‘bad people’, Menzies said, and that it was ‘a matter of life and death’.
The sum, which rose to £6,500, was paid for by his office manager who cashed in her Isa.
The Times said the money was reimbursed from donor funds, adding that an insider claimed the MP requested money because he was nervous about what would happen otherwise. He did not have the funds to transfer the money from his savings.
Other allegations of Menzies mishandling campaign funds included requesting £3,000 to cover private medical bills in 2020.
None of the money, which rose to £14,000 by November, was repaid. Sources close to Menzies disputed this.
A Conservative Party spokesperson confirmed to Metro.co.uk that an investigation has been launched.
They added: ‘The party takes all allegations seriously and will always investigate any matters put to them.’
In a statement to The Times, Menzies said: ‘I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I have fully complied with all the rules for declarations.
‘As there is an investigation ongoing I will not be commenting further.’