Keir Starmer says police should investigate Mark Menzies allegations

Keir Starmer has requested that a law enforcement inquiry be conducted regarding claims of financial mismanagement by Member of Parliament Mark Menzies, who was stripped of membership in the Conservative party.

The head of the Labour Party expressed concern about unresolved inquiries into the charges against the Member of Parliament representing Fylde in Lancashire. This MP has also been removed from their role as a commercial envoy for the government.

Menzies, who is 52 years old, is being accused of requesting thousands of pounds from one of his aides to settle a debt with unsavory individuals in the middle of the night.

On Wednesday night, he got suspended from the Conservative parliamentary party while an investigation is being conducted. Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson stated that Menzies also got suspended from his job as a trade envoy to Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Argentina.

After the accusations became known through a report published by the Times, the Conservatives responded by taking measures. Inquiring about whether the matter has been reported to the police, Labour contacted the Conservatives through a written letter.

While visiting Teesside, Starmer informed journalists that there are many inquiries that need to be answered concerning these accusations. Specifically, Starmer is curious as to why it appears that the Conservative party waited a considerable amount of time before taking any action and if they reported the matter to the authorities. In Starmer's view, the police should be involved in this matter.

To be frank, I feel a bit annoyed too. The political and mayoral elections are only a couple weeks away, and instead of discussing their significance, we're once again focused on the inappropriate actions of Conservative MPs. It's moments like these that prove why we ought to move on from the current party and embrace a new beginning with Labour. The accusations that surfaced today speak volumes about the change that needs to take place.

On Thursday morning, Grant Shapps, who is the defence secretary, mentioned that the Conservatives knew about the accusations "for some time" but found out more details yesterday.

During an interview with BBC Radio 4 Today, he mentioned that he is aware that CCHQ has been aware of the matter for a long time and has been doing an investigation. He also added that a recent probe has shed some new light on the issue.

Menzies has stated that he disagrees with the allegations made against him. He claims that he has followed all the guidelines regarding declarations. However, since an investigation is currently taking place, he chooses not to disclose any further information.

As per the report by the Times, Menzies made a phone call to his ex-campaign manager, who is currently a volunteer for the party, at 3:15 am one December night. Menzies uttered that he was trapped inside a flat by some malicious individuals and demanded £5000 as it was of utmost importance regarding his survival.

After some time, the total amount climbed to £6,500 and it was disclosed that it came from the personal funds of Menzies' constituency officer manager. It was mentioned that the expenses were later reimbursed through donations given to the campaign.

The Conservative party has been hit by yet another accusation of unethical behaviour. This latest incident has emerged shortly after MP William Wragg resigned from the party for allegedly divulging personal contact numbers of other MPs to someone who was threatening him.

As per a report shared with The Times by someone near to Menzies, he requested for cash subsequent to encountering a person on a dating platform. The individual revealed that Menzies visited the man's place of residence and subsequently accompanied another man to a different location, where he continued to consume alcohol. The people at that place falsely insisted that Menzies had thrown up and asked for £5,000 to cover expenses associated with cleaning and other matters, as per the reported account.

A person who is familiar with Menzies has revealed to the Times that he gave the money because he feared the consequences of rejecting the request. However, he did not have enough money available in his savings account. The source also mentioned that Menzies was willing to return the money, but the regional Conservative party members in charge of the campaign finances declined the offer.

On Thursday, Anneliese Dodds, who chairs the Labour party, penned a letter to Richard Holden, the chair of the Conservative party, expressing doubts about their response to troubling accusations.

She wrote in the letter, "It has been said that the Conservative party had knowledge of these severe accusations for more than three months. Who did something about it, and when?"

Dodds inquired if CCHQ provided guidance to the concerned individuals to reach out to the police and if the party formally notified the authorities about the issue.

Ten years ago, Menzies resigned from his position as a ministerial aide following accusations from a Brazilian male escort regarding his actions.

Menzies was chosen as a member of parliament in the year 2010 and was quickly given a high position as an assistant to government ministers. He worked with Charles Hendry, who was the previous energy minister, and Mark Prisk, who was the previous housing minister. After that, he took up a similar role with Alan Duncan, who was the international development minister at the time.