00:00 Filed MP Mark Menzies has lost the Conservative whip as the party investigates claims of misuse
00:07 of funds. On Wednesday, the Times published claims Mr
00:11 Menzies had used political donations to cover medical expenses and pay off bad people who
00:18 had locked him in a flat and demanded thousands of pounds for his release.
00:23 Labour says the police should investigate the allegations of misused funds.
00:27 There's a worrying pattern here of cover-up and inaction.
00:32 So can she shed some light? What and when did the Chief Whip, Prime Minister
00:39 and Party Chairman know? Why did it take the publication of the story
00:44 today for the whip to be removed? Has this matter been referred to the police?
00:50 If not, why not?
00:51 These are very serious matters and some of them are under police investigation.
00:56 You wouldn't expect me to comment on that.
00:59 The Tories say it is unfair to characterise this as a party issue.
01:03 Well look, I just think that rather than making it sort of personal, it's right to say that
01:09 in politics, probably as in many other industries, you get individuals or you get individual
01:15 situations where wrong is done or indeed issues of mental health were involved or other things.
01:22 And I don't think there's anything particularly unique.
01:24 I mean, let's remember right now the Deputy Prime Minister of the Labour Party, the shadow
01:29 Deputy Prime Minister, is under investigation by the police.
01:33 According to The Times, £14,000 given by Tory donors for party campaign activities
01:39 was transferred to Mr Menzies' private accounts for private medical expenses.
01:44 The MP is also said to have called his former campaign manager at 3.15am one morning in
01:49 December last year, claiming he had been locked in a flat and needed £5,000 as a matter of
01:56 life and death.
01:58 It's alleged Mr Menzies met a man on an online dating website and ended up in a flat where
02:03 he continued drinking, before several people at the address demanded money.
02:07 According to the paper, a sum of £6,500 was eventually paid using Conservative campaign
02:14 funds.
02:15 In file today, there was sympathy for their MP, but little love for his party.
02:20 To be honest, I've never liked the Tories anyway, but we need a change, a definite change.
02:26 I am surprised because he's done a lot of good work in this area as well, so that is
02:31 a bit of a let down, yes.
02:34 He's always replied to the emails we've sent, immediately, and he's done everything we've
02:38 asked him to do, so he's really a good advocate for us.
02:42 Mr Menzies strongly disputes the allegations put to him.
02:45 Nevertheless, it is another unwelcome development for the Prime Minister, who is facing yet
02:50 another by-election in the neighbouring constituency of Blackpool South next month.
02:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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