26 November 2021 — Goodlaw Project

It’s not much fun being a Conservative backbench MP at the moment. No 10 is reportedly threatening them with the withdrawal of funding for their constituencies if they don’t toe the party line in Commons votes.

No 10 reportedly made these threats to force MPs to spare Tory MP Owen Paterson from suspension, after he broke parliamentary rules by lobbying for a private firm that paid him £100,000 a year. One backbencher said MPs were told “they would lose funding for their constituency” if they failed to vote with the Prime Minister.

Not only does this undermine Parliament and weaken MPs’ independence, if the allegations are true, this is in the realms of criminal offence.

Threatening to cut off funding for local communities to save the skin of a disgraced MP also reveals the truth behind what the Government likes to style as ‘levelling up’.

Good Law Project has sent a pre-action protocol letter to Michael Gove inviting him to deny, if he can, that the alleged conduct happened, to turn over any documents evidencing it – and to stop the threats. If you’re able to, you can make a donation to fund the legal challenge here:

The reports suggest a very serious misuse of public money, in the realms of criminal conduct, by or for the Prime Minister. We will not stand by and watch.

Thank you,

Jo Maugham

Good Law Project only exists thanks to donations from people across the UK. If you’re in a position to support our work, you can do so here:

Read our pre-action protocol letter to Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

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