Mark Menzies has introduced he won’t be standing on the subsequent normal 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 a press release, 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 normal election.
“This has been a really tough week for me and I request that my household’s privateness is revered.”
The Occasions reported final week that Menzies rang a 78-year-old social gathering 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 instructed her: “I’ve bought in with some dangerous folks they usually’ve bought 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 social gathering funds from Tory donors.
In a press release to The Occasions 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 social gathering funds.
It mentioned the cash in query was signed off by two signatories of Fylde Westminster Group, which is outdoors of the primary social gathering’s remit.
But, the spokesperson added: “We do imagine that there was a sample of behaviour that falls under 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 Get together.
“We are going to subsequently be commencing with retraining people throughout the social gathering on tips on how to handle these accounts which fall outdoors 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 will probably be reviewed by the Conservative Get together’s member governance crew,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Over the past 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 keeping 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 are going to in fact share any data with the police in the event that they imagine it might be useful to any investigation they determine to undertake.
“Recommendations the social gathering has not been critically analyzing this matter are demonstrably false as we now have labored to guard the identities of all these concerned while the information could possibly be established.”
As soon as he misplaced the whip, Menzies grew to become the 18th MP to take a seat as an unbiased within the Home of Commons – eight of whom have been elected as Conservatives in 2019.
He’s now one among 5 former Tories who won’t be standing on the subsequent election.
