• 7 months ago
Grant Shapps comments on Tory MP Mark Menzies losing his whip over allegations he misused campaign funds. The defence secretary defends the Conservatives arguing it is not a ''party issue''. Mark Menzies is the eighth Conservative MP who has lost his whip over the course of the current Parliament.

Defence Secretary comments on Mark Menzies losing his whip over allegations he misused campaign funds. Grant Shapps defended the Conservatives arguing it is not a ''party issue''. Mark Menzies is the eight Conservative MP who lost his whip over the course of the current Parliament.
Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Transcript
00:00 He's lost the whip yesterday or today, and I think that some new information came
00:04 about this was already being investigated, I should say, but I think some new information
00:08 has come about and that process will now take place, but without him having the whip,
00:13 in other words, not sitting as a Conservative. Forgive me, as Defence Secretary, I don't know
00:18 the ins and outs of this, obviously. I do know that it was already being investigated.
00:23 He should be set for fairness, denies the allegations. Those are now being properly
00:28 looked into with this fresh information, and that process will run its course properly.
00:34 Well, look, I just think that rather than making it sort of personal, it's right to say that in
00:42 politics, probably as in many other industries, you get individuals or you get individual situations
00:48 where wrong is done or indeed issues of mental health were involved or other things, and I don't
00:55 think there's anything particularly unique. I mean, let's remember right now the Deputy
00:59 Prime Minister of the Labour Party, the shadow Deputy Prime Minister, is under investigation by
01:04 the police. I don't think it's right to sort of characterise this as being a party issue,
01:09 and I do think it's right to sort of let things run their course through a proper process,
01:15 otherwise we're rather ignoring sort of justice, given that the allegations here are denied.

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