Mark Menzies resigns as MP after claiming he was locked up by 'bad people'

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The MP at the center of the latest sordid scandal to rock Rishi Sunak's party has announced he will stand down at the next election.

Mark Menzies, 52, allegedly called a 78-year-old assistant in the middle of the night to tell her he had been locked out by “bad people” demanding money.

He was also accused of misusing political donations after reportedly spending thousands of pounds donated by Conservative Party donors on medical bills.

The Conservatives suspended Mr Menzies after the allegations emerged earlier this week.

But the party was accused of being slow to act after a whistleblower revealed she reported the allegations to the party months ago. .

In a statement, the Conservatives said they had now completed the investigation and “could not conclude” that there had been any misappropriation of party funds.

However, this appears to be because the money was in a fund that “does not fall within the remit” of the party and its local association.

But the investigation revealed "a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards expected of MPs and individuals who handle donations to local campaign funds that do not fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Conservative Party,” a Conservative spokesperson said. .

In response, the party is to set up a whistleblower hotline and retrain volunteers “across the party on how to manage these accounts”.

The party also said it would consider whether the allegations breached the Nolan Principles of Public Life and would “share any information with the police if they believe it would be helpful”.

Lancashire Police said they were reviewing “available information” about the case.

According to The Times, £14,000 donated by donors for Conservative campaign activities was transferred to Mr Menzies' personal bank accounts and used for medical expenses

The MP also reportedly called his elderly former campaign manager at 3:15 a.m. one morning in December last year, and claimed he was locked in an apartment and needed of £5,000 as a matter of “life and death”.

The sum, which later rose to £6,500, was eventually paid from the personal bank account of his boss. desk.

The money was then repaid using funds raised by donors for campaign purposes and held in an account called Fylde Westminster Group, it is claimed. It is this body that the party said it sits on...