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.
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 purse.
"Additionally reports to me and others of members of staff at Number Ten Downing Street, special advisers, government ministers and others encouraging the publication of stories in the press seeking to embarrass those who they suspect of lacking confidence in the Prime Minister is solely unacceptable.
"The intimidation of a member of Parliament is a serious matter.
"Moreover, reports of which I am aware would seem to constitute blackmail.
"As such it would be my general advice to colleagues to report these matters to the speaker of the House of Commons and the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police."
In response to the accusations levelled at Downing Street, Boris Johnson has said he had seen "no evidence to support any of those allegations”.
A No 10 spokesman added: "We are not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations.
"If there is any evidence to support these claims we would look at it very carefully."
