PM accused of acting like 'mafia boss' by Lib Dem leader amid new 'blackmail' allegations; Conservative MP William Wragg accused Number 10 of threatening to pull funding in constituencies of Tory backbenchers thinking of submitting a letter of no confidence to the PM.
Byline: By, Flaminia Luck
Boris Johnson is under fire yet again after a bombshell allegation of blackmail was made by a Senior Tory MP in a statement made during a recent committee hearing.
The extraordinary claims were made by William Wragg, Tory MP for Hazel Grove and Chairman of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, who said he has received reports of conduct by members of the government amounting to "blackmail".
Tory backbenchers are allegedly facing "pressures and intimidation" and threats to pull funding in their constituencies over their support for a no confidence motion in the Prime Minister after the fallout from Partygate continues.
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Mr Wragg said: "In recent days, a number of members of Parliament have faced pressures and intimidation from members of the government because of their declared or assumed desire for a vote of confidence in the party leadership of the Prime Minister."
He went on to say the whips were responsible for continuing Government business but added: "It is not their function to breach the ministerial code in threatening to withdraw investments from members of parliament's constituencies which are funded from the public purse."
Mr Wragg added: "Intimidation of a member of Parliament is a serious matter. Moreover, the 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."
Boris Johnson said he had seen "no evidence to support any of those allegations" following senior Tory MP William Wragg's claims of conduct amounting to "blackmail" against critics of the Prime Minister.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, weighed in on these claims and accused Boris Johnson of acting like a "mafia boss" and said the police must investigate these claims.
"It is simply remarkable that a Prime Minister could countenance scrapping local projects...
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