The New Tories - Ruthlessly Incompetent. Post Examples of Tory Stupidity Here

[BusLanes]

It's pretty bad stuff even by our degraded expectations for Tory MPs

 

[PR1Berske]

Sex, drugs and a drunk dog

Menzies was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and was raised by his mother after his father, who worked in the Merchant Navy, died a month before his birth.

He studied economic and social history at the University of Glasgow and worked in the retail sector at Marks & Spencer and Asda before entering politics.

The unmarried MP has never publicly confirmed his sexuality but has appeared on a list of gay MPs produced by the website Pink News.

He was first elected as MP for Fylde in 2010 as one of David Cameron’s “A-list” candidates and was earmarked for a rapid rise, quickly taking up a post as a parliamentary private secretary.

However, his ascent up the ranks was halted in 2014 when he was at the centre of a sex-for-money scandal. Rogerio Santos, 19, a Brazilian “rent boy”, told the Sunday Mirror that the MP had paid him for sex and asked him to buy an illegal drug. Santos claimed that Menzies had taken drugs on previous occasions.

Menzies, then 42, resigned as a ministerial aide but insisted that some of the allegations were untrue and claimed he would be “setting the record straight in due course”. He has not held a ministerial role since.

Three years later, Menzies was interviewed by police over bizarre accusations that he had deliberately got an acquaintance’s dog drunk and, when challenged over his actions, started a fight with the friend. The dog reportedly required emergency veterinary treatment for “intoxication” and “poisoning”.

Menzies told the press at the time that the allegations were “false and malicious” and police had dismissed the claims. A source close to the MP denied that Menzies had any involvement in the dog drinking alcohol. They claimed the dog had drunk alcohol that had been placed on the grass when the friend fell asleep, and that the friend had given alcohol to the dog on previous occasions.

More recently, Menzies’s Lancashire constituency has been abuzz with gossip about a drunken incident at a Last Night of the Proms concert featuring Katherine Jenkins, held in the grounds of Lytham Hall in August.

Menzies, who was invited to the event by the local mayor, is said to have turned up intoxicated and got into a row with other patrons after discovering that seats had not been reserved for his party within the VIP section.
•
45m ago
One attendee said the MP “started kicking the chairs and poking the people on the front row”, creating a disturbance for ticket holders who had paid £150 each for the event. He was spoken to by security and appeared to be heavily intoxicated by the end of the concert. A source close to the MP acknowledged that he had had too much to drink but said he hadn’t intentionally poked anyone and may have done it by accident when waving a flag.

Failure to discipline

The allegations against Menzies were reported to senior Tories more than three months ago, but the wheels of party justice have turned slowly.

Menzies’s former campaign manager has given her account multiple times and has sent evidence including bank statements to CCHQ.

The MP has been interviewed by the chief whip and has admitted that he was locked up and that he used campaign funds for private medical bills, although he claims that because this was authorised by the signatories on the bank account this was fine.

The 78-year-old who received the phone call is a devout Tory who has for decades been heavily involved in the party’s efforts in the constituency. She has told friends that she feels betrayed by the way the matter has been handled, and believed CCHQ was content to “brush it under the carpet”.

In the meantime, Menzies has continued with plans to stand at the next election. The true-blue seat has been in Conservative hands for decades and Menzies enjoys a majority of more than 16,000.

The constituency borders Blackpool South, where the former Conservative MP Scott Benton recently resigned after he was exposed by The Times offering to lobby ministers in exchange for money. It remains to be seen whether Sunak faces another by-election headache in the same region.

In a statement, Menzies said: “I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I have fully complied with all the rules for declarations. As there is an investigation ongoing I will not be commenting further.”

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The Conservative Party is investigating allegations made regarding a member of parliament. This process is rightfully confidential.

“The party takes all allegations seriously and will always investigate any matters put to them.”

 

[pesh]

'I also need 35 grand for medical bills'

 

[brogdale]

Wikipedia tells me that in 2015 he and a friend may/may not have got a dog pissed.

 

[prunus]

Wikipedia tells me that in 2015 he and a friend may/may not have got a dog pissed.

That’s true of all of us I think.

 

[two sheds]

It sounds like either sex or drugs or a combination of the two. A "meetup" gone wrong, which he then tried to fix by using donor/local party funds, and all covered up by the wider party.

possibly also rock and roll

fraud eh

 

[Lurdan]

Archived version of the full Times story:
Revealed: Tory MP allegedly demanded campaign cash to pay ‘bad people’ - Times (archived)

includes:

The money used to repay Green was not the first time that this campaign fund was used to cover Menzies’s personal expenses.

Four years ago, shortly before the outbreak of the pandemic, Menzies called his former campaign manager seeking £3,000 from the campaign funds, she has told friends. He claimed to have personal medical bills due urgently that he could not pay and promised to sell some shares in order to repay the money. The former campaign manager and Green authorised the transfer and Menzies received it. But the MP is understood never to have repaid the money. Instead, he asked for and received a further sum of £4,000.

Several years passed before Menzies again received funds from the account, in November. By then, Green had been replaced as an administrator by another local party member. The sum received amounted to £7,000. Menzies has not repaid any of the £14,000 he has received from the business group fund — money that had been given by donors for campaigning and not for his personal expenses. (...)

The allegations against Menzies were reported to senior Tories more than three months ago, but the wheels of party justice have turned slowly. Menzies’s former campaign manager has given her account multiple times and has sent evidence including bank statements to CCHQ. The MP has been interviewed by the chief whip and has admitted that he was locked up and that he used campaign funds for private medical bills, although he claims that because this was authorised by the signatories on the bank account this was fine.

British democracy - the best that money can buy.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

There's always time for 1 more by-election before the GE.

 

[BusLanes]

That’s true of all of us I think.

There's always time for 1 more by-election before the GE.

If he quits but presumably the recall petition process would take a few months since it needs to go via parliament

 

[Elpenor]

Makes me long for the 90s when they were content to stick an orange in their mouth and stranglewank themselves to death without also asking for a handout.

We've lost that quiet decency since then

 

[Lurdan]

A spokesperson for Chief Whip Simon Hart said: "Following a call with the Chief Whip, Mark Menzies has agreed to relinquish the Conservative whip, pending the outcome of an investigation."

Mark Menzies MP gives up Tory whip amid investigation into claims he misused campaign funds - Sky News

 

[redsquirrel]

Is there something in the water (besides sewage) at Blackpool - Benson Blackpool South) gone, Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) under investigation and now Menzies (Flyde).
In fact could be extended to coastal North West MPs in general - Woodcock, with his allegations of sexual misconduct

 

[kenny g]

These latest scandals show the protagonists as being not only highly objectionable but also completely spineless. Perfect lobby fodder.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

How are they measuring people who don't want a job? Is it by the number of UC claims they've closed?

Through the labour force survey, because you don't have to claim benefits or register at all to want or not want a job.Ask and ye shall find

 

[Silas Loom]

Through the labour force survey, because you don't have to claim benefits or register at all to want or not want a job.Ask and ye shall find

The ONS does really good research, which is why it is constantly undermined by Conservative governments.

 

[Silas Loom]

Sorry. Tory VAWG isn’t “stupidity”, it’s worse. I’ll find somewhere else for this council leader story.

 

[Cerv]

Wragg last week, now Menzies.
If conservative MPs are incapable of funding a fuck on Grindr without getting themselves blackmailed, they should all be banned off all the apps for their own safety.

 

[PR1Berske]

Is there something in the water (besides sewage) at Blackpool - Benson Blackpool South) gone, Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) under investigation and now Menzies (Flyde).
In fact could be extended to coastal North West MPs in general - Woodcock, with his allegations of sexual misconduct

As a Prestonian I would like to point out that we have always suspected something off about our coastal cousins.

 

[two sheds]

But good to see the tradition continuing of tory MPs being brought down by sex scandals, labour MPs being brought down by money scandals.

 

[Silas Loom]

But good to see the tradition continuing of tory MPs being brought down by sex scandals, labour MPs being brought down by money scandals.

Any examples of the latter beyond the confected Rayner nonsense?

 

[Elpenor]

But good to see the tradition continuing of tory MPs being brought down by sex scandals, labour MPs being brought down by money scandals.

A return the Majorian values of Back to Basics

 

[brogdale]

A return the Majorian values of Back to Basics

Properly nostalgic.

 

[philosophical]

Blackpool has the highest proportion of children in care in the country.

 

[andysays]

But good to see the tradition continuing of tory MPs being brought down by sex scandals, labour MPs being brought down by money scandals.

This latest one seems to be a sex and money scandal - further evidence that the differences between the parties are becoming blurred?

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

To be fair, using Tory campaign funds to pay off a bunch of amateur kidnappers is a better use than what it was intended for.

 

[two sheds]

Something Trumpy about it

 

[Silas Loom]

To be fair, using Tory campaign funds to pay off a bunch of amateur kidnappers is a better use than what it was intended for.

They seemed to have a legitimate grievance, as well. It was quite specifically cleaning fees that needed to be paid for.

 

[A380]

I can’t begin to imagine what he would need these amounts of money for.

It must be hard sticking to the party line.

 

[two sheds]

Harley Street specialists don't come cheap

 

[marty21]

Haven't we all had a 3am phone call from our MP demanding £6k?