Standards Committee chairman Chris Bryant who is the head of the Commons ‘sleaze’ watchdog has warned No.10 that their tactics to withdraw funding from MPs’ constituencies is “misconduct in public office,” which must be referred to Scotland Yard.
Around a dozen Tory MPs have accused party whips of trying to “blackmail” them to keep the Prime Minister in power, which is “illegal.”
Fresh accusations have emerged that Boris Johnson was also directly involved as his political career is on a “knife edge.”
The head of the Commons sleaze watchdog, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, “I have even heard MPs alleging that the Prime Minister himself has been doing this.
“What I have said to all of those people is that I think that is misconduct in public office. The people who should be dealing with such allegations are the police.
“We are not the United States.
“We don’t run a ‘pork barrel’ system.
“It is illegal.
“We are meant to operate as MPs without fear or favour.
“The allocation of taxpayer funding to constituencies should be according to need, not according to the need to keep the Prime Minister in his job.”
Bryant’s intervention comes after senior Tory MP William Wragg raised concerns about attempted “blackmail” by No 10.
Wragg told The Daily Telegraph he will outline several examples of bullying,
intimidation and he is to meet with Scotland Yard next week.
Wragg told the paper, “I stand by what I have said. No amount of gas-lighting will change that.
“The offer of No.10 to investigate is kind but I shall leave it to the experts. I am meeting the police early next week.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said, “As with any such allegations, should a criminal offence be reported to the Met, it would be considered.”
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