A Tory MP who faces fraud and misconduct allegations over claims he used campaign funds to pay "bad people" has announced he will step down.
Mark Menzies dramatically resigned from the Conservative Party this afternoon and said he won't stand in the general election. It comes after allegations he called a 78-year-old former campaign manager at 3:15am claiming he needed £5,000 as a matter of "life and death". The Fylde MP could face a Commons sleaze probe over his use of campaign funds.
Mr Menzies will continue to draw his MP salary amid growing calls for a by-election. Tory HQ - which has been criticised for its response to the scandal - said it was unable to determine whether funds had been misused, but said there was a "pattern of behaviour" that fell below acceptable standards.
Last week Mr Menzies agreed to give up the Tory whip while an investigation was carried out. In a statement he said: “It has been an enormous privilege representing the people of Fylde since 2010, but due to the pressures on myself and my elderly mother, I have decided to resign from the Conservative Party and will not stand at the forthcoming general election. This has been a very difficult week for me and I request that my family’s privacy is respected.”
Katie Fieldhouse, the woman who was called by Mr Menzies in the early hours on December 1, reported him to Chief Whip Simon Hart in January, but she became frustrated with the way the Conservative Party dealt with the complaint.
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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 party donors. Lancashire Police are looking into the claims.
Mark Menzies pictured with PM Rishi SunakThe Times also reported that £14,000 given by donors for Tory campaign activities was transferred to Mr Menzies' personal bank accounts and used for private medical expenses.
A party spokesman said Tory officials were powerless to act as the group that signed off the cash isn't within their control. He said: “The Conservative Party has now completed its investigation into whether there was a misuse of Conservative Party funds.
“The money in question that was sent to Mark Menzies MP was signed off by the two signatories of Fylde Westminster Group. This body sits outside of the remit of both the Conservative Party and Fylde Conservative Association. Therefore we cannot conclude that there has been a misuse of Conservative Party funds.
“However, we do believe that there has been a pattern of behaviour that falls below the standards expected of MPs and individuals looking after donations to local campaign funds which lie outside the direct jurisdiction of the Conservative Party." He said party officials would be retrained and a whistleblowing helpline is being set up.
The Tories said Mr Menzies may have broken the Nolan principals of public life, which require MPs to act with integrity, accountability, honesty and leadership. The spokesman said: “We will of course share any information with the Police if they believe it would be helpful to any investigation they decide to undertake.
"Suggestions the Party has not been seriously examining this matter are demonstrably false as we have worked to protect the identities of all those involved whilst the facts could be established.”
On Friday Rishi Sunak refused to call for Mr Menzies to step down as an MP. This morning Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho told Times Radio: "My understanding is [the Mark Menzies claims are] being investigated and new information came to light in recent weeks. That's also being looked at. But ultimately I want people to have faith in politicians.
"This is a minority of MPs. The vast majority are hardworking, decent people who care about their communities, who care about the nation. We should address these things quickly because it's important that people have faith in politicians".
The Sunday Mirror reported that Mr Menzies could be subjected to a separate probe by Commons authorities into whether he should have declared the secret cash payments. MPs are required to report donations and loans they receive. The Code of Conduct also states they “shall never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, or of its Members generally”.
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The Standards Commissioner has the power to recommend MPs are suspended from the Commons if found to have breached rules, which can lead to them facing a by-election.
Mr Menzies says he “strongly disputes” the allegations – which come 10 years after he resigned as a ministerial aide following a Sunday Mirror investigation. Rogerio Santos, 19, a Brazilian male escort, told us the MP had paid him for sex and asked him to buy an illegal drug. At the time in 2014, Mr Menzies said: “A number of these allegations are not true and I look forward to setting the record straight in due course."
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