Fylde MP Mark Menzies has resigned from the Conservative Party and announced that he will not seek re-election, following claims that he had misused party funds. The allegations emerged last week, and relate to the payment of medical bills and to an unproven claim that Menzies had used £5,000 ($6,537) to pay “bad people” to release him from a flat where he was being held, allegedly for “life and death reasons”. That claim was not considered in the Conservatives’ internal enquiry as it was outside the remit of the party and the local association.
The Conservative Party’s investigation concluded that the money used to pay the medical bill was approved by the two signatories of the Fylde Westminster group. The investigation also concluded that Menzies may have breached the Nolan principles – which recommend public officials should be honest, open and accountable – and referred the matter to the party’s member governance team. The MPs decision to resign means that there will not be a by-election in his constituency, and has been described as “right and honourable” by party officials.
Menzies has denied accusations that he used public funds to pay for a personal trainer or for the betterment of the private members’ club he has connections to. It remains to be seen whether Lancashire Police will investigate the case, as no formal complaint has been made. The Labour Party has criticised the handling of the matter by the Conservatives, highlighting the lengthy period of time between the allegations and the investigation, which began in January.
The Conservative Party has released a statement announcing reform, focused on retraining individuals on the management of accounts that fall outside of the remit of the Conservatives, as well as setting up a whistleblowing hotline. Public discomfort around the abuse of parliamentary expenses along with a series of scandals mean that the abuse of party funds has become a sensitive issue in recent years.
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