Met detectives will speak to rebel Conservative MP over blackmail threats
William Wragg says he is happy to ‘leave inquiry to experts’ and ‘bullying’ by the whips will not succeed
SCOTLAND YARD will meet a leading rebel Conservative early next week to discuss claims Government whips have threatened and blackmailed backbenchers.
The Daily Telegraph can disclose that a Metropolitan Police detective will meet with William Wragg, a senior Tory
MP who raised the concerns, to discuss allegations that include threats to withhold investments from constituencies.
The disclosure marks an escalation in the battle between the Government and a minority of increasingly angry Conservative backbenchers who are frustrated with Boris Johnson’s leadership.
It is likely to prompt fears in Conservative high command that if the Metropolitan Police believes enough evidence exists to investigate, the issue could escalate and become a distraction to the Government.
The claims of intimidation were made as Mr Johnson battles to retain power before Sue Gray, the senior civil servant delving into allegations of rulewragg breaking partying during coronavirus restrictions, finishes her report. That is not expected until next week.
Mr Wragg said on Thursday that Tory MPS considering triggering a noconfidence vote in the Prime Minister were receiving threats from whips to “withdraw investments” from constituencies, and “intimidation” by No 10.
Mr Wragg, the MP for Hazel Grove, said the threats could amount to “blackmail” and urged colleagues to report them to the police.
He was immediately backed by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House, who said allegations about potentially criminal offences would be a matter for the police. Last night Mr said that he would briefly give the detective he meets next week “several” examples of bullying and intimidation, in some cases involving public money, and added that he wanted to leave investigation of the claims “to the experts” rather than No 10.
He said: “I stand by what I have said. No amount of gas-lighting will change that. The offer of Number 10 to investigate is kind but I shall leave it to the experts. I am meeting police early next week.”
Downing Street signalled that the Government would not seek out evidence following the allegations of blackmail by whips.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said “we would look at it very carefully” if evidence were presented to them.
But the spokesman declined to say whether there was any investigation taking place or if any evidence was being sought out.
Regarding the blackmail claims, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said last night: “As with any such allegations, should a criminal offence be reported to the Met, it would be considered.”
Separately, Tory MPS wishing to oust the Prime Minister are considering publishing secretly recorded conversations with the chief whip, and messages, to support their claims. One said that they would be “keeping their powder dry until next week”, adding that one MP “has a recording” and “several texts”.
Christian Wakeford, the Bury South MP who defected from the Tories to Labour, claimed that he was threatened that funding for a new school in his constituency would be withheld if he did not vote with the Government over free school meals. Ben Howlett, the MP for Bath between 2015 and 2017, claimed yesterday that a former whip warned him that funds for a link road project would be withheld from his constituency if he did not support the Government on Brexit votes.
Earlier, Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, said that the allegations were “completely unacceptable” and ministers “need to get to the bottom of the matter”.
‘I stand by what I have said. No amount of gas-lighting will change that. I am meeting police early next week’