By Paul Byrne & Lizzy Buchan
A 78-year-old Tory volunteer who took a 3am phone call from an MP allegedly demanding money to pay off "bad people" has branded his behaviour unacceptable.
Katie Fieldhouse, 78, a former Lady Mayoress of Fylde, said she received a call from local MP Mark Menzies at 3.15am on December 1 last year, in which he allegedly asked for £5,000 as he was locked in a flat with "some bad people". Mr Menzies, 52, claimed it was a matter of "life or death", according to The Times.
But Ms Fieldhouse, his former campaign manager, refused and called his office manager who later stumped up the sum, which had risen to £6,500. She was later reimbursed from a campaign fund paid for by donors, the paper reported.
Last night, Mr Menzies lost the Conservative whip and was suspended as one of Rishi Sunak's trade envoys over claims he misused thousands of pounds of campaign funds. But the party is facing questions over why it took so long to act.
Ms Fieldhouse told the Mirror that she later contacted the Tory party, in January to express her “concerns” about Mr Menzies. “I spoke to the chief whip on the 3rd of January and told him my concerns” she said.
“All the things that had happened accumulated in my head. I came to the conclusion that something had to be done about it because I have a great fondness for my constituency.”
Ms Fieldhouse would not comment when asked if she thought the MP should resign. But she said: “I put my faith in the Conservative Party to deal with Mr Menzies.” She continued: “I am a devout Conservative, all my life, and also a devout Christian, and I cannot accept his behaviour. It is very upsetting.”
Ms Fieldhouse said she was approached by The Times after speaking to the chief whip. And she added: “I have read the article in The Times. Everything in it is true.”
The Tories are under pressure to explain why it took them more than three months to act and they only removed the whip from Mr Menzies after the allegations were made public. Labour leader Keir Starmer also said police should investigate allegations that he misused campaign funds.
The claims, which emerged last night, began with the early hours plea for cash from Mr Menzies, which was allegedly paid for by his office manager using cash from her personal bank account. She was later reimbursed from a campaign fund paid for by donors. A source close to Mr Menzies told the paper he had offered to repay this sum but claimed local Tories who ran the account said he did not need to.
Separately, it is alleged that £14,000 from donors for use on Tory campaign activities was paid into his private bank account and used for his private medical expenses. Mr Menzies, a Government trade envoy, allegedly has not repaid this money, according to the Times. A source close to the MP claimed that donors would have been happy to donate but were not asked to to avoid disclosing personal medical details. They argued that it was a legitimate use of the funds as it allowed him to continue to work as an MP.
Mr Menzies told the Times: “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.”
Last night he was stripped of the Tory whip while the investigation continues. He will now sit as an independent MP. A spokeswoman for Chief Whip Simon Hart said: “Following a call with the Chief Whip, Mark Menzies has agreed to relinquish the Conservative whip, pending the outcome of an investigation.”
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.”
Labour called for the police to get involved. Mr Starmer told broadcasters: "There are obviously a lot of unanswered questions in relation to these allegations, not least why it seems the Conservative Party took so long to act and whether they've reported this to the police, who, it seems to me, should be involved in this." He said the fact that "yet again we're talking about misbehaviour by Tory MPs" showed the need for a fresh start.
Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds has also written to her Conservative counterpart, Richard Holden, to say the allegations raise "extremely serious questions relating to potential criminality" and asking questions about police involvement.
She added: “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.”
A party source said it was "absolutely incredible" that Tory bosses had been pressuring the police to investigate a row over the sale of Angela Rayner's former council house while sitting on this case for more than three months.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said it was "frankly appalling" that the Conservative Party had been aware of the allegations for more than three months. "When our national security faces threats on many fronts, it is deeply concerning that some MPs are so open to traps, threats and manipulations," she said.
In 2014 Mr Menzies quit as a Ministerial aide after a Sunday Mirror investigation into claims he paid a Brazilian teenage escort for sex and drugs. Three years later he was accused of getting a dog drunk after a boozy afternoon with a friend.
