Police need to examine allegations, says Starmer

Police should investigate allegations that the MP Mark Menzies misused campaign funds, Labour said.

Sir Keir Starmer led the demands, saying: “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 have reported this to the police, who, it seems to me, should be involved.”

Labour’s chairwoman, Anneliese Dodds, has written to her Tory counterpart, Richard Holden, to say that the claims raise “extremely serious questions relating to potential criminality” and asking questions about police involvement.

In the Commons, the shadow Leader of the House, Lucy Powell, said the “extraordinary” allegations raised “very serious questions” and warranted a police investigation.

Ms Powell also questioned the handling of the claims by the Tories, suggesting that there was “a worrying pattern here of cover-up and inaction”, in reference to reports that the party was aware of the allegations for more than three months.

Referring to recent revelations regarding a “honeytrap” scandal in Westminster, she added: “It seems that, yet again, like with the Member for Hazel Grove [William Wragg] and so many other recent cases of sleaze and scandal, they are too weak to act decisively and instead choose to brush things under the carpet.”

The Commons Leader, Penny Mordaunt, declined to comment on the specific case of Mr Menzies but said that the matters raised by Ms Powell were “very serious”.

Mr Sunak’s spokesman declined to comment on Mr Menzies but said: “The Prime Minister has always been clear that there is no place for any inappropriate behaviour in Parliament and that MPs should be role models for the rest of society.”