Sunak should rule out ever restoring Hancock's Conservative whip

EMBARGO: Immediate Release 

The Liberal Democrats are calling on Rishi Sunak to rule out ever restoring Matt Hancock's Conservative Whip after the latest set of leaked WhatsApp messages. The messages show Hancock threatening to block a disability centre in a Conservative MP’s seat in an attempt to force him to vote for the new Covid tier system.    

This is yet another shocking revelation from the Lockdown Files which raises even more concerns about Matt Hancock’s integrity and credibility. Matt Hancock threatening to withhold funding for a new disability hub if an MP didn’t vote in a certain way is shocking. These messages prove Matt Hancock breached the ministerial code.

Rishi Sunak’s Conservative party are too busy trying to save themselves from scandal to scandal rather than dealing with soaring food bills and an NHS on its knees. There is no place in politics for this threatening kind of behaviour. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Prime Minister to order an inquiry into whether other Conservative MPs are using similar behaviour.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

“This is a clear breach of the Ministerial Code. It's sickening that Matt Hancock that would even consider withholding funding from an MP if they didn’t vote how he wanted them to.

“Rishi Sunak should do the right thing and immediately rule out Matt Hancock having the Conservative Whip restored.

“The Government also need to launch an inquiry into whether other Conservative ministers have been using similar distasteful threats.

"These leaked messages prove this Conservative Government is unfit to govern and are riddled in chaos.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

Reported by The Telegraph.