A senior Tory has urged MPs to report any attempt to “blackmail” them over their support for a no confidence motion against Boris Johnson to the police.
In a dramatic intervention, William Wragg, the chairman of the Commons public administration committee, said he had been told allies of the prime minister had threatened to “embarrass” rebels with “stories in the press”.
“The intimidation of an MP is a serious matter,” he said on Thursday morning. “Reports of which I am aware would seem to constitute blackmail.
“As such it would be my general advice to colleagues to report these matters to the Speaker of the House of Commons and the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.”
Wragg said: “Members of staff at No.10, special advisers, government ministers and others encouraging the publication of stories in the press seeking to embarrass those who they suspect of lacking confidence in the PM is unacceptable.”
In a statement at the beginning of a committee session, Wragg also accused ministers of breaching the ministerial code by “threatening” to withdraw public funds from the constituencies of the rebels.
Johnson has faced calls from Conservative MPs, including former cabinet minister David Davis, to quit following the fallout from revelations Downing Street held parties during lockdown.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said of Wragg’s statement: “These are shocking accusations of bullying, blackmail bad behaviour from people in positions of power. We need this to be investigated thoroughly.”
It comes after Bury South MP Christian Wakeford defected from the Tories to Labour.
