A Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party, Mark Menzies, has been suspended from his duties after being accused of misusing party funds and abusing his position. The allegations also include claims that he once asked an elderly party volunteer for money as a matter of “life and death,” the Times reports. It is believed that the former campaign manager received a call from Menzies at 03:15 am last December, during which he was asked for £5,000. A sum of £6,500 was reportedly paid the following morning to secure his release, leading to an investigation by the party.
According to sources, Menzies “strongly” denies any wrongdoing. However, the suspension of the MP’s whip, which effectively expels him from the parliamentary party, suggests that his party colleagues are taking the allegations seriously.
In addition to the alleged misuse of party funds, it is reported that Menzies used £14,000 in campaign donations to pay his own medical bills. Sources close to the MP disputed these claims, but it is understood that the money has not been repaid. The Labour Party has said that Rishi Sunak, the previously appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Conservatives, must give an account of the allegations.
Menzies has been an MP for Fylde since 2010, but has never been a government minister. He resigned as a parliamentary aid in 2014, following allegations that he had paid a male escort for sex and asked him to buy illegal drugs. Menzies is currently a prime ministerial trade envoy to Chile, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru. He has been chosen as the Conservative candidate for the Fylde seat at the next election and holds a majority of 16,611.
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