UK MP says he will meet with police over government “blackmail” allegations

LONDON (Reuters) – A British Conservative MP has said he will meet with police to discuss his allegations, with the Boris Johnson government trying to “blackmail” the government into trying to oust the prime minister.

William Wragg, chairman of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and a member of Johnson’s governing party, said on Thursday some Conservatives had been intimidated and blackmailed by government officials for trying to oust Johnson.

“I hold on to what I said. Light gas won’t change that,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “It’s a nice offer to investigate the 10 numbers, but I’ll leave it to the experts. I’ll meet with the police early next week.”

In response to Wragg’s allegations, Johnson told them Thursday that he had neither seen nor heard evidence to support Wragg’s claims. His office said it would examine such evidence “very carefully.”

The London Metropolitan Police said on Saturday they could not comment on the specific meeting planned.

“As with such an allegation, if a criminal offense is reported to the Met, it would be considered,” a spokesman said.

Johnson, who won a majority in his party for more than 30 years in 2019, is struggling to consolidate his power at the Downing Street headquarters after some revelations about the parties during the COVID-19 blockade.

The “Partygate” scandals, the government’s criticism of corruption bailouts and other missteps, have dominated British politics for more than a month, draining public support for Johnson and his party.

Johnson, who has repeatedly apologized to the parties and said he was unaware of many of them, admitted to going to what he thought was a work event on May 20 last year, when social mixing was largely banned. Invitations urged staff to “bring their own alcohol” to the event.

Senior Sue Gray officials are expected to report to the parties next week, and many Conservative lawmakers have said they will wait for their findings before deciding whether to take action to oust Johnson.