Another political headache for Rishi Sunak – as things start to look like John Major years of scandal
This is a tale that’s more than just a marmalade dropper. It’s a story so astounding you have to pick yourself up off the floor.
Mark Menzies MP last December allegedly made a 3.15am phone call to an elderly party volunteer asking for £5,000 as a matter of “life or death” because he had been locked up by “bad people”.
To secure his release, the money was paid by his office manager from her personal account and reimbursed from funds raised from donors, according to The Times. The newspaper also alleges Mr Menzies received thousands of pounds from campaign funds into his personal bank account which were used for personal medical expenses.
Politics latest: Big questions for Sunak
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I will say from the outset that these are claims Mr Menzies, the MP for the Lancashire seat of Fylde, “strongly disputes”.
In a statement to The Times, he said: “I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I have fully complied with all the rules for declarations. As there is an investigation ongoing I will not be commenting further.”
But when the story broke, Conservative chief whip Simon Hart suspended Mr Menzies from the parliamentary party pending the outcome of an investigation.
It is a mega story. Not just because of the staggering, astounding, eye-popping – take your pick – nature of the allegations, but the questions it throws up: If this had happened over three months ago, why is it only now that the Conservative Party are suspending the whip? Was there misuse of money and what are the implications of that? Can Mr Menzies really continue as an MP?
And how much will this hurt the Conservatives, who have for weeks been chasing Angela Rayner over allegations – which she denies – she avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale of her council house a decade ago, when these allegations around their own MP were swirling in the background?
‘Surprised if he lasts the week’
First off, Conservative peer Ruth Davidson thinks Mr Menzies will have no option but to resign and trigger a by-election in another danger zone seat given the Conservatives have a 16,000 majority – the sort of lead that Labour and Lib Dems have been repeatedly overturning in by-elections of late.
Ruth Davidson describes the story as “jaw-dropping” on Electoral Dysfunction this week, and reckons that Mr Menzies is going to have to resign, saying she’d be “surprised” if he lasts the week.
She adds: “The Tories were supposedly told about this three months ago, and this is the first we’re hearing about it.
“And by reading the story, it looks very much like this lady told her local association, raised the red flag, then told the parliamentary authorities.
“The chief whip then told CCHQ, which is Tory HQ. Nothing’s happened and now she’s quoted in the newspapers.
“So, I mean, it does appear that there’s local association wrath about the way they’ve been treated by this MP. So, you know, I think this is a very difficult one, and I would find it difficult to believe that an investigation can be held and he can be cleared in time to stand a general election.
“In fact, I would be surprised if he survives the week here and doesn’t just resign.”
Jess Philips agrees and tells us that he will “have no choice but to resign and force a by-election”.
Ruth thinks there’s another by-election headache on the horizon for Rishi Sunak. Pic: PA
For obvious reasons, that will be something the party and Rishi Sunak will want to avoid, with the Conservatives already being hammered in the three by-elections held this year and expecting to lose Blackpool South next month.
Half of Labour’s top ten by-election swings in history have come in the last 18 months.
Mr Sunak will not want any more record breakers if he can help it in this election year.
“I don’t think Mark Menzies wants to walk away right now. But I also don’t think that the Conservatives want to have a by-election this close to a general election,” explains Ruth.
“Yes, they have a 16,000 majority, but then if they lose it, that makes it worse.
“However, it’s the sort of seat where if it’s just in the mix as part of a general election, it’s probably not right at the top of the kind of target seats for the Labour Party.
“So they probably get to hold the seat if he stays there. Even as independent, the Tories more than likely hold the seat at a general. If it goes to a by-election, all bets are off.”
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Ruth Davidson on Mark Menzies allegations
‘It feels end of days’
Whatever happens next, I have little doubt that his story will stay in the headlines, giving the prime minister yet another headache ahead of the local elections on 2 May that he just doesn’t need as he makes some progress on his proposed smoking ban and flagship Rwanda bill.
Ruth likens the string of scandals to the John Major years, when his government was rocked by a series of unflattering revelations, from the Neil Hamilton “cash-for-questions” scandal to stories of extra-marital affairs.
She says: “I think in terms of the mood in the Tory party, there is that sense that every time we start to get on the front foot about something, something comes and knocks us off.
“And also just the number now of scandals that are coming along.
“It feels sort of end of days. It feels like the 1992 to 1997 sort of parliament.
“And you can kind of see the party sort of splintering in front of your eyes and, and yeah, I mean, you will probably get on to it, but in the week that you also have Liz Truss reminding everybody that she exists, you know, it’s not a good week for the Conservative Party.”
Listen to Beth Rigby, Jess Phillips and Ruth Davidson as they unravel the spin in a new weekly podcast from Sky News
Jess also thinks there’s a bit of schadenfreude about all of this, given the vigour with which the Conservatives have leapt on matters relating to Angela Rayner’s council house before she was an MP.
She said: “The Tories have been literally salivating over Angela Rayner’s nine-year-ago sale of a council house in her blended family… and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t have to answer those questions.
“But when you put this into this context… it’s a bit like, in a sort of old-school way, a Looney Tunes cartoon where somebody sets a really, really, really elaborate trap and then the anvil falls on their head.
“It does feel a little bit like the Tories have misstepped on this. And it was always so obvious that going after Angela Rayner in this way was always going to come and bite them in the arse.”
From the developing story around Mr Menzies, to the publicity blitz from Liz Truss over her new book Ten Tears To Save The West, there is plenty of dysfunction for us to chew over this week.
And spare a thought for Mr Sunak – having made progress on his smoking ban, and working hard to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, he’s been laid low again by political storms.
UK
‘They’re invisible within society’: Whistleblower says asylum seekers disappear ‘daily’ from hotels
An insider has told Sky News people are still disappearing “daily” from asylum seeker hotels.
In an exclusive interview, the contractor described the chaos he sees within the system as “terrifying” because undocumented people are persistently absconding from hotels.
He spoke to us because he is deeply concerned about the ongoing lack of monitoring at a time when the government has promised to tighten the asylum system.
The man, who we are not naming, works across multiple asylum hotels in one region of England.
“When someone gets to about a week away from the hotel, they’re processed as an absconder,” he said.
“Nothing really happens there. They get marked as ‘left the hotel’ and a notification is sent to the Home Office.
“It’s at least weekly. Most of the time it can be daily.”
The government moved last month to reset its immigration policy by promising to toughen the process for asylum seekers.
The latest figures up to September this year show 36,272 asylum seekers living in hotels.
Failed asylum applicants are given a date to move out by, but they’re not actually picked up by the authorities, the insider says
Overall 110,000 people claimed asylum in the UK between September 2024 and September 2025 – higher than the previous recorded peak of 103,000 in 2002.
The hotel contractor also described to Sky News what he says happens when a resident’s claim for asylum is rejected.
“They get given a date that they need to move out by,” he said.
“You would expect immigration enforcement to go to the hotel to pick these people up. You would expect them to not even be told that they failed their asylum claim.
“You would expect them to just be collected from the hotel… that doesn’t happen.”
He told us that some residents just walk out of the door with no further checks or assistance.
The whistleblower spoke to Sky News’ Tom Parmenter in the exclusive interview
“It must be terrifying for these people as well… ‘what do I do now? I don’t have an address’.
“So what do they do? How do they survive?
“Do they then get forced… to go into an underground world?
“They’re just completely invisible within society.
“For those people to freely be allowed, undetected and unchecked, on the streets of this country is terrifying.”
His account from within the system contrasts with the government’s promises to restore control over the asylum process.
Police and protesters outside the Bell Hotel, Epping, where asylum seekers have been housed. Pic: PA
In response to the interview, a Home Office spokesperson said: “This government will end the use of hotels and have introduced major reforms to the asylum system, to scale up removals of people with no right to be here and address the factors drawing illegal migrants to the UK in the first place.
“Nearly 50,000 people with no right to be in our country have been removed and enforcement arrests to tackle illegal working are at the highest level in recent history.
“A dedicated team in the Home Office works with police, across government and commercial companies to trace absconders. Failure to return to a hotel can also lead to asylum claims and support being withdrawn.”
At a community kitchen in Greater Manchester, organisers told us they regularly see people who are living under the radar – surviving with “cash in hand” jobs.
Volunteer Shabana Yunas says the situation is ‘getting worse’ and ‘it is dangerous’
Volunteer Shabana Yunas helps many hungry and desperate people. She also feels the tension it causes in her community.
“People don’t know who they are and I understand a lot of people are afraid… but if there’s those things in place where we can monitor who is around, then everybody can feel a lot safer.
“If people are coming into the UK and we don’t know who they are and they’re just disappearing, crime rates are going to go up, slavery is going to go higher, child exploitation is going to be more exposed.
“They are too afraid to go to the authorities because they are scared of being deported to a country where their lives could be at risk.
“It’s getting worse, it is dangerous and we do need to do something about this where we can support people.”
Kitchen volunteer Khalid, from Ethiopia, has had his application for asylum rejected four times
Another volunteer at the kitchen is Khalid.
He arrived in the UK in 2015 having travelled from Ethiopia – he hid on a lorry to get into England.
Read more:
The visa overstayers living under the radar
Stats show rise in asylum seekers being housed in hotels
Britain’s immigration system changes explained
He has applied for asylum and been rejected four times.
He has recently submitted another application and told us political violence at home meant he could not return.
Crucially, he knows plenty of people living off-grid.
“Yeah, they don’t care about what the government thinks, because they already destroyed their life,” he told us.
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Although Khalid now has somewhere to stay, he has previously considered turning to crime to give himself the stability of life in prison.
“I was in depression. I was like, I wanna do some criminal and go jail, to stay in a prison.
“Once upon a time, I’d prefer that way.”
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The visa overstayers in ‘soft’ Britain
Khalid is now volunteering to give his life more purpose as he waits for another decision from the Home Office.
He says he doesn’t blame people who think he should be deported back to Ethiopia.
When asked if he should have been, he said: “That is up to Home Office, like up to government.”
Stopping small boats, clearing backlogs, closing hotels, enforcing the rules and restoring faith in the system are all priorities for the Home Office – solving it all is one of the defining challenges for the Starmer government.
NHS England has warned the health service is facing a “worst case scenario” December with a surge of “super flu”.
The warning comes as new figures revealed the number of people in hospital with flu have increased by more than half in just one week.
Catch up as it happened: NHS warns of ‘worst-case scenario’ as ‘super flu’ surges
Latest figures show:
• An average of 2,660 patients were in hospital per day with flu last week
• This is the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% on last week
• At this point last year the number stood at 1,861 patients, while in 2023 it was just 402
Health service bosses are warning the number of flu patients in hospital has already increased sharply since the week covered by this data – with no peak in sight.
Read more: Why is flu season worse this year?
Virus outbreaks coincide with doctors’ strikes
Weekly flu numbers in England peaked at 5,408 patients last winter and reached 5,441 over the winter of 2022/23, the highest level since the pandemic.
Alongside rocketing flu, the number of norovirus patients in hospital has also risen by 35%.
The NHS is now warning winter viruses are starting to “engulf hospitals”.
Demand for A&Es and ambulance services is also soaring.
New monthly figures show A&E attendances were a record for November at 2.35 million – more than 30,000 higher than November 2024.
In addition, there were 48,814 more ambulance incidents (802,525) compared with last year (753,711).
Some hospitals across the country have asked staff, patients and visitors to wear face masks to cut the spread of flu, while others have gone in and out of critical incident status due to the high number of people attending A&E.
The record-breaking demand on the NHS coincides with a resident doctors’ strike from 17 to 22 December over pay and jobs – sparking fears of major disruption for patients in the run up to Christmas.
People are being advised to attend any planned appointments scheduled during the strikes unless they have been contacted to reschedule.
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Will doctors accept late deal to avoid strikes?
Flu vaccinations on the up… who can get one?
The NHS is urging anyone eligible to get their flu vaccination to help prevent them getting seriously ill.
Latest figures show more than 17.4 million people have been vaccinated so far this year, more than 381,000 higher than last year.
You can get it if you:
• Are 65 or over in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Are pregnant
• Live in a care home
• Are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive carer’s allowance
• Live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• Are a frontline health and social care worker
• Are of school age
• Have certain medical conditions (the NHS has a full list)
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, warned of a “tidal wave of flu tearing through our hospitals”.
“We are working with the NHS to make sure it is able to cope with this as best as possible,” he said.
Warning ‘extremely challenging few weeks ahead’
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, warned the health service faces “an extremely challenging few weeks ahead” with “staff being pushed to the limit”.
She said: “With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors’ strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.
“The numbers of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year. Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.”
She added: “We have prepared earlier for winter than ever before, and stress-tested services to ensure people have a range of ways to get the help they need and avoid needing to go to A&E.
“For non-life-threatening care, people should call NHS 111 or use 111 online, which can direct you to the most appropriate place, and use A&E and 999 for life threatening conditions and serious injuries.”
Read more from Sky News:
US accused of ‘piracy’
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Mr Streeting has offered the British Medical Association (BMA) a last-minute deal in the hope doctors will call off the walkout, which starts next Wednesday.
The doctors’ union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming day, and is expected to announced a decision on Monday, just two days before the planned strike.
The offer includes a fast expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees, but does not include extra pay.
The spread of subclade K, the super flu, is picking up – and it’s not looking good for the NHS.
An average of just under 2,700 hospital beds a day in England were occupied by patients with flu last week.
There are fears that could jump to somewhere between 5,000 and 8,000 by the end of this week.
That’s on top of COVID and RSV.
And with the possibility of a five-day strike by resident (junior) doctors next week, it’s a perfect storm for hospitals.
An NHS hospital ward at Ealing Hospital in London. Pic: PA
Christmas flu
Children are the super-spreaders of flu. It races around classrooms and some schools have temporarily shut because of the impact.
The Christmas holidays aren’t far off. They are likely to put the brakes on children passing around the virus.
But it’s also a time of year when families mix with elderly relatives, who are more likely to be hit hard by the infection – perhaps even needing hospital care.
So while the holidays may temporarily slow the overall rise in infections, the impact on hospitals could get much worse.
File pic: PA
Subclade K
Flu is spreading so rapidly at the moment because immunity to subclade K from previous infections and vaccinations is low.
The virus – a variant of the H3N2 flu strain – suddenly acquired seven new mutations in late summer.
Every 100 people infected with seasonal flu would typically pass the virus on to 120 others.
With subclade K, it’s 140.
And that’s why cases are rising so quickly on the charts.
At the moment, 18 in every 100,000 patients in England are consulting their GP with flu-like symptoms. That’s still well short of the peak of around 50 in every 100,000 in 2017/18, the worst flu outbreak in recent years.
File pic: PA
The grim reality of flu
Flu is a really unpleasant disease, nothing like a cold. I’ve had it twice in my life and it physically hurt to get out of bed. It’s grim.
Most people get over it with a few days’ rest and paracetamol to take the edge off the fever.
But vulnerable people can become seriously ill. In the outbreak of 2017/18, around 22,000 died.
Read more:
Nurses ‘deeply concerned about what lies ahead’
NHS braced for ‘toughest winter’ after record-breaking month
That’s why the NHS is urging people in certain groups – the over 65s, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, carers and children – to get the jab.
The vaccine isn’t a great match for subclade K, but still reduces the chance of hospital admission by 30-40% in adults.
It’s impossible to say when the spread will peak, but the latest figures suggest the outbreak is far from over.
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