Stay classy
In yet more sleaze and scandal, it has been revealed that Tory whips reportedly threatened to scrap a new school if a certain MP decided to back Marcus Rashford‘s wonderful free school meals campaign
The MP in question is the recently-defected Christian Wakeford, who walked across the aisle to join the Labour Party during an eventful round of PMQs on Wednesday.
'I was threatened that I would not get the school for Radcliffe if I did not vote in one particular way'
Ex-Tory Christian Wakeford backs up Will Wragg's claim that whips have threatened to withdraw constituency funding over opposition to certain issues https://t.co/W0FGH0pmol pic.twitter.com/SBmufTz5Ri
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) January 20, 2022
Speaking on BBC North West Tonight and other news outlets on Thursday, the Bury South MP revealed that he was warned he would not receive adequate funding for the new school in the town of Radcliffe if he didn’t “vote in a particular way” on a certain issue(s).
Now, as per the Mirror, it is thought that at least one of the issues Wakeford was threatened over was Rashford’s long-running battle for free school meals – an issue he received an MBE for but which the conservatives made multiple attempts to resist.
It isn’t the only alleged instance of blackmail, of course, as yesterday it was announced another senior Tory, William Wragg, accused the government of “pressures and intimidation” over concerns party members might be sizing up for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.
The school in question would be the area’s first in nearly a decade and is considered desperately needed by local constituents. He went on to state: “how would you feel when holding back the regeneration of a town for a vote? It didn’t sit comfortably and that was when I was really starting to question my place at that time.”
The threats are thought to have been made by an as yet unidentified cabinet minister and, similarly, Hazel Grove MP Wragg said that other MPs had also claimed their constituencies would be “starved of cash” if they failed to fall into line.
Related links:
- Sue Gray finds email showing staff knew Downing Street parties breached lockdown guidance
- Marcus Rashford responds to school which will not feed children ‘1p in debt’
- Tory MP dismisses party blackmail claims – by confirming culture of intimidation and threats
