UK: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday denied new allegations that his aides had tried to “blackmail” and threaten Conservative rebels, in a potentially criminal twist to Downing Street’s “partygate” scandal.
Senior Tory William Wragg disclosed the alleged intimidation campaign as Downing Street battles to shore up Johnson against calls from within the party for his resignation.
“The intimidation of a member of parliament is a serious matter. Reports of which I am aware would seem to constitute blackmail,” said Wragg, one of seven Tory MPs who have publicly called for a party confidence vote.
Addressing MPs, Wragg said any affected members should report it the police and to the Speaker’s office in the House of Commons.
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, addressing the chamber in sombre tones, said any such campaign would amount to “contempt” of parliament, which is a criminal offence.
But Johnson told reporters: “I’ve seen no evidence, heard no evidence, to support any of those allegations. “What I am focused on is what we’re doing to deal with the number one priority of the British people, which is coming through COVID,” he said on a visit to a medical clinic in southwest England.
Johnson refused to confirm his aides’ assertion that he would fight any no-confidence vote, nor to comment further on the dramatic defection of Conservative MP Christian Wakeford to the Labour party on Wednesday.
The alleged intimidation campaign includes threats to withdraw funding from rebels’ constituencies, and to leak damaging stories to the press.
Wakeford said he had been told his seat in northwest England could lose a school if he did not fall into line.
Prior to Wragg’s explosive intervention, Johnson allies had been talking up the Prime Minister’s chances of survival, after Wakeford’s cross-party switch focused Tory minds on the threat from a resurgent Labour opposition.
One anti-Johnson plot by younger Tory MPs, livid at breaches of lockdowns by partying Downing Street staff, appeared to be fizzling out despite one senior backbencher telling him to his face to quit, “in the name of God”.- THE STATESMAN