MP accused of utilizing funds to pay ‘dangerous folks’ breaks silence in Commons
Mark Menzies has said MPs are “fragile souls” as he broke his silence after claims he used campaign funds to pay “bad people”.
The MP spoke in the House of Commons on the final sitting day ahead of the General Election.
Mr Menzies last month announced he will stand down and quit the Conservatives after the party found he had shown a “pattern of behaviour” falling below the standards for MPs.
The Tories launched an investigation following allegations he called a 78-year-old former campaign manager at 3:15am claiming he was locked in a flat and needed £5,000 as a matter of “life and death”. The sum, which rose to £6,500, is believed to have been eventually paid by his office manager Shirley Green from her personal bank account and subsequently reimbursed from funds raised from party donors.
Speaking in the Commons today, Mr Menzies paid tribute to her for her hard work since he became the MP for Fylde in 2017. He said: “I have been blessed with having some of the most outstanding loyal people for the last 14 years. Now more than ever, I have appreciated that. Shirley, who has been my office manager from day one…The team, they go out there day in and day out, do the detailed work and make me look good.”
Mr Menzies urged Parliament to invest in support for MPs. He said: “The pressure that there is on MPs is extraordinary whether it comes from the long hours, being away from family, the demands that are on us, social media and so on and so forth.
“And so I would urge the Parliamentary authorities, keep investing in health and wellbeing. Look after those MPs, people who are currently serving or those who will come into this House after the next election. Nuture them, cherish them because they are people who want to do good, but they are also fragile souls.”
The scandal last month came a decade after Mr Menzies resigned as a ministerial aide in 2014 after a Sunday Mirror investigation into sex-for-money and drug claims. Rogerio Santos, 19, a Brazilian male escort, told us the MP had paid him for sex and asked him to buy an illegal drug.
The Conservatives faced criticism that it had been too slow to act over the latest allegations. Katie Fieldhouse, the woman who was called by Mr Menzies in the early hours on December 1, reported him to Chief Whip Simon Hart in January, but she became frustrated with the way the Conservative Party dealt with the complaint.
In a statement to The Times last month, Mr Menzies said: “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.”
