No 10 resisting ‘blackmail’ probe

DOWNING Street was resisting opening an investigation into allegations of Tory MPs being blackmailed into supporting Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he faces a threat to his leadership, despite a Cabinet minister saying they needed to be looked at.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng disputed the allegation, first made by a senior Conservative, but said if true it would be “completely unacceptable” and ministers “need to get to the bottom of the matter”.

But No 10 suggested yesterday that an investigation would only be launched “if there was any evidence” to support the claims, despite calls from Labour and Tory MPs.

William Wragg said critics considering triggering a no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister were receiving threats to “withdraw investments” from constituencies, as well as “intimidation” from No. 10 staff.

Mr Wragg, chairman of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, said the threats could amount to “blackmail” and urged colleagues to report them to the police.

Christian Wakeford, the Bury South MP who defected from the Tories to Labour, then said 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.

Mr Kwarteng told Sky News: “As far as the specific allegation about whips withholding funds, I think that’s completely unacceptable.

“Any form of blackmail and intimidation of that kind simply has no place in British politics.

“We need to get to the bottom of the matter. But I find it very unlikely that these allegations are true.”

The Business Secretary said Mr Wakeford’s “very serious” allegation has so far been “unsubstantiated”.

“I’m sure it will be investigated if it’s not being so already. After 12 years as an MP I’ve never heard anything like this,” Mr Kwarteng told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“Having been an MP for 12 years I’ve never heard of anyone making a threat, certainly not to me or to anybody else of that kind, doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

But a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: “We’re not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations.

“If there was any evidence to support it, it would of course be looked at.”

Mr Kwarteng described Mr Wakeford, who was elected to Bury South in 2019 on a wafer-thin majority, of having “essentially turned coat” in switching to Labour.

“I don’t know what his motivations were, and as you’ll appreciate he’s a Labour MP now and, of course, part of his job is to try and discredit the Government,” he said.

The claims of intimidation came as Mr Johnson battled to remain in power ahead of the result of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s inquiry into allegations of rule-breaking partying during coronavirus restrictions. The result of her investigation is expected next week.