Christian Wakeford: Ex-Tory MP 'threatened' over Bury high school funding

An ex-Tory MP who defected to Labour said he was threatened he would not get a high school in his constituency if he did not vote in a certain way.

Bury South MP Christian Wakeford said it made him start to question his place within the Conservative Party.

But Boris Johnson said he had not seen any evidence to support the claim.

Mr Wakeford, who had been a Conservative party member for nearly 20 years, announced his decision to switch sides moments before Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

He took the Bury South seat from Labour at the 2019 general election by just 402 votes but will now sit as a Labour MP.

Speaking to BBC North West Tonight in Bury earlier, he said: "I was threatened that I would not get the school for Radcliffe if I did not vote in one particular way.

"This is a town that's not had a high school for the best part of 10 years.

"How would you feel when holding back regeneration of a town for a vote, it didn't sit comfortably.

"That was really starting to question my place where I was and ultimately to where I am now."

A Labour source said the vote in question related to free school meals.

Mr Johnson is facing down an attempt from some Tory MPs to oust him as leader over lockdown parties held in Downing Street.

Earlier, Conservative MP Mr Wragg, who is among those calling on the prime minister to resign, said rebels had faced "pressures and intimidation" from ministers.

He said the conduct of the Government Whips' Office threatening to withdraw public funding from MPs' constituencies may have breached the ministerial code.

But Mr Johnson insisted he had not seen any evidence to support Mr Wragg's claims of intimidatory tactics against Tory critics.

He added that he would "of course" look for evidence to support the allegations made by Mr Wragg.

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