UK lawmaker won't run again after allegations of late-night fundraising appeals to pay 'bad guys'

Sign up to the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxReceive our free View from Westminster emailPlease enter an email address valid emailPlease enter a valid email addressI would like to receive an email about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice{{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A British lawmaker who allegedly used his campaign funds to pay people who were holding him hostage said Sunday he would not run in the election after the Conservative Party in power found that his behavior was substandard. standard expected of MPs.

The fall of Mark Menzies is the latest in a series of scandals to hit the Conservatives, undermining support for a party in power for 14 years as it prepares for general elections later this year.

The Times of London recently reported that Menzies called a 78-year-old aide at 3 a.m. in December to ask for funds to pay "bad people" who had locked him up. an apartment and demanded money for his release. Menzies' office manager ultimately paid 6,500 pounds ($8,100) into her personal bank account, which was repaid using funds donated by political supporters, the newspaper said.

Menzies, who denies the allegations, represented the Menzies seat. Fylde, in the northwest of England, since 2010.

“Due to pressure on myself and my elderly mother, I have decided to resign from the Conservative Party and will not will not stand in the next general election,” he declared. This has been a very difficult week for me and I ask that my family's privacy be respected. »

Menzies' announcement came after the Conservatives announced the findings of an internal investigation into the matter.

The investigation concluded that the payment had been authorized by two members of a local donor group that is not part of the Conservative Party, and that Menzies had therefore not misused party funds.

“However, we think. “There has been behavior which does not meet the standards expected of MPs and individuals who deal with donations to local campaign funds which are outside the direct remit of the Conservative Party,” the party said.

The opposition The Labor Party has called for a police investigation into the matter. The Conservatives have said they will share information with police if they decide to investigate.

The Conservatives have been in power since 2010, but they are lagging in opinion polls in a against a backdrop of crumbling public services, high prices burdening consumers and the corrosive effect of ethics scandals.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who led the party to a landslide victory in 2019 , resigned from the House of Commons after an investigation found he had deliberately misled Parliament on the par...