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Matt Hancock and a senior aide discussed ways to block funding for MPs’ local projects to persaude them to vote for Covid rules, including a new centre for disabled children, leaked messages reveal.
The messages between Hancock and adviser Allan Nixon show the former health secretary agreeing with the suggestion “100%” that projects in constituencies should be used as ways to persuade MPs to vote for the tier system in December 2020.
The leaks were unveiled in the Daily Telegraph’s investigation into Matt Hancock’s leaked WhatsApp messages, named the Lockdown Files.
Former Conservative party chair Jake Berry tweeted that Hancock “should be dragged to the bar of the House of Commons first thing tomorrow morning to be questioned on this”.
The row predates a separate issue the following year where an MP made a complaint to the police about alleged tactics used by the whips to shore up support for Boris Johnson – including similar threats to constituency funds.
The leaked WhatsApps came before a rebellion by more than 50 MPs against the regional tier system for lockdowns, with dozens of MPs expressing anger at the categorisation of their local areas and support for business.
Hancock’s messages – which he has said were taken out of context and were never acted upon – show they were keen to persuade MPs from the 2019 intake not to rebel, and whips had shared a spreadsheet of significant numbers of MPs who were unhappy.
James Daly, the MP for Bury North, had been campaigning for a public health hub in his constituency to benefit vulnerable people in the community.
On 22 November, 10 days before the vote, Nixon wrote to Hancock: “I think we need to dangle our top asks over some of these 2019 intake MPs who are going off the boil this coming week.
“Thoughts on me suggesting to Chief’s spads that they give us a list of the 2019 intakes thinking of rebelling. Eg James wants his Learning Disability Hub in Bury – whips call him up and say Health team want to work with him to deliver this but that’ll be off the table if he rebels.”
Hancock replied: “yes 100%” to the suggestion.
A spokesperson for the former health secretary said: “The missing context here is vitally important because this vote was critical for saving lives.
“What’s being accused here never happened, demonstrating the story is wrong, and showing why such a biased, partial approach to the evidence is a bad mistake, driven by those with a vested interest and an axe to grind.
“The right place to consider everything about the pandemic objectively is in the public inquiry.”
Daly told the Telegraph the hub had still not been given the green light but said he was not contacted by the whips to make such threats.
He said: “They were never proposing to give it to me. I still don’t have it. Even though I have repeatedly campaigned for it, Hancock never showed the slightest bit of interest in supporting it.
“I think it is appalling. The fact that they would only give a much needed support for disabled people if I voted for this was absolutely disgusting.”
On 2 December, the day of the vote, Hancock messaged to say: “James Daly is with us.”
Daly voted against the government. In total, 55 Conservative MPs opposed the system, which passed because of Labour’s abstaining.
Conservative whips were accused of using similar tactics during the Boris Johnson’s era. The former Conservative MP Christian Wakeford, who defected to Labour, alleged that party whips told him he would lose funding for a new high school in his constituency if he did not vote with the government.
MP William Wragg urged MPs to report government ministers, whips and advisers to the speaker – and even the police – for what he claimed was attempted blackmail of some colleagues suspected of possibly opposing Johnson during the Partygate scandal. Police took no further action.
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