Defecting Bury MP says he was 'threatened' with funding pull for Radcliffe school if he did not back government

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A Bury MP was told funding for a new school in Radcliffe would be pulled unless he backed the government. That’s according to Christian Wakeford, representing Bury South, who defected from the Conservatives to Labour yesterday.

His comments come after another Greater Manchester MP, William Wragg, said Downing Street officials had ‘blackmailed’ Tory backbenchers into voting with the government on key issues. READ MORE: "He’s trying to dodge behind the red rose.

It's a real mess": Voters in Prestwich divided over defecting MP Wakeford When asked if the same had happened to him, by BBC North West Tonight, Mr Wakeford said: “I was threatened that I would not get school for Radcliffe if I didn't vote in one particular way. “This is a town that's not had high school for the best part of 10 years — and how do you feel when holding back for regeneration of a town for a vote. "It didn't sit comfortably [with me] and that was really [my] starting to question the place where I was to where I am now.” Earlier in the day, Hazel Grove MP William Wragg, a senior Conservative backbencher, accused Number 10 of ‘blackmail’ during a meeting of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

He said: “In recent days a number of members of parliament have faced pressures and intimation from members of the government because of their declared or assumed desire for a vote of confidence in the party leadership of the Prime Minister. "It is of course the duty of the government whips' office to secure the government's business in the House of Commons. "However, it is not their function to breach the ministerial code in threatening to withdraw investments from members of parliament's constituencies which are funded from the public