Mark Menzies: Tory MP under investigation following claims he misused campaign funds

A Tory MP is under investigation by the party following claims he misused campaign funds.

Mark Menzies, MP for Fylde and one of Rishi Sunak’s trade envoys, is facing allegations that £14,000 given by donors for use on Tory campaigning activities was transferred to his personal bank account and used for private medical expenses. He is also said to have made a late-night call to a 78-year-old aide in which he said he had been locked up by “bad people” who were demanding thousands of pounds for his release.

According to the allegations, Menzies called his former campaign manager at around 3.15am on a December morning, telling the aide that he was locked in his flat and that he needed £5,000 as a matter of “life and death”. This then rose to £6,500, which was paid out of the personal account of his office manager, before she was reimbursed by Menzies from funds raising from donors in an account called ‘Fylde Westminster Group’.

According to The Times, a source close to the MP said that he had met a man on an online dating website and gone to his flat before leaving with a second man to another address where he continued to drink. He is said to have been sick at one point, with several people at the address demanding £5,000 for cleaning up and other expenses. He agreed to pay over fears of what would happen to him, but did not have the amount available to transfer from his bank at the time, leading to him phoning the aide.

In 2020, he also allegedly sought £3,000 to cover private medical bills, with the MP not repaying the money and a further £4,000 being received. A further allegation saw Menzies reportedly transferred another £7,000 in November.

Menzies has denied all allegations, telling the newspaper: “I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I have fully complied with all the rules for declarations. As there is an investigation ongoing I will not be commenting further.”

A spokeswoman for Chief Whip Simon Hart said Mr Menzies had “agreed to relinquish the Conservative whip, pending the outcome of an investigation”, meaning he will now sit as an Independent MP. A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The Conservative Party is investigating allegations made regarding a Member of Parliament. This process is rightfully confidential. The party takes all allegations seriously and will always investigate any matters put to them.”

Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party Chair, has called the allegations “deeply troubling”. She said: “Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party have serious questions to answer about whether funds have been misused and why no action has been taken despite the allegations reportedly being known about since January. Rishi Sunak promised professionalism, integrity and accountability at all levels. He has delivered stagnation, scandal and sleaze which is engulfing his party. Britain deserves better than this Conservative chaos.”