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Spectator (UK)Mar 23
UK: Tory MP Suspended Over Alleged Misuse of Campaign Funds
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Image copyright: Chris McAndrew via Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
The UK's ruling Conservative Party has suspended MP Mark Menzies following a report by The Times claiming the lawmaker had used £6.5K ($8.1K) of his office manager's savings — who was later reimbursed from campaign funds — to pay off "bad people."
Menzies is accused of calling his 78-year-old campaign manager at 3.15 a.m. local time last December, stating that he was locked in his flat and needed the money as a matter of "life and death."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Having been caught up in a string of controversies since becoming an MP in 2010, further scandals concerning Mark Menzies should, in reality, come as no surprise. From allegations of paying for a teenage escort, getting a dog drunk, and instances of disorderly behavior, it's clear that Menzies is unfit to hold office as an MP in Westminster.
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite taking a turn for the worse during Johnson's premiership, parliamentary ethics have steadily declined for decades. This problem can't be tackled by suspending lawmakers — a systematic overhaul is overdue and entirely necessary if the UK is to root out the malpractice that has undermined Westminster's ability to serve its people properly for far too long.
