London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

MP denies voting to keep Johnson in return for Isle of Wight ‘bag of cash’

MP denies voting to keep Johnson in return for Isle of Wight ‘bag of cash’

Bob Seely says Lisa Nandy’s corruption allegation misinterprets his statement to constituents
A Conservative MP has angrily denied that he voted to keep Boris Johnson as leader of his party in return for “a bag of cash” for his constituency after being accused of “corruption” in the Commons.

Bob Seely, MP for the Isle of Wight, wrote on his website that he had backed the prime minister in his confidence vote “only after discussion with senior ministers”.

Seely told constituents that ministers had assured him they would “look again” at funding for the island hours before Monday’s vote.

In furious exchanges in the Commons on Wednesday, the shadow levelling up secretary, Lisa Nandy, said the backroom conversation “sounds awfully like corruption to me”.

Nandy was asked to withdraw the allegation by the Commons deputy speaker, Eleanor Laing, after Seely said it was “completely untrue”.

The row follows reports that some Tory MPs were offered government jobs in return for supporting Johnson in the confidence vote.

Nandy had been addressing a second reading of the government’s levelling up and regeneration bill when she asked Michael Gove, the secretary of state, whether he was aware of Seely’s statement.

She said: “Can I ask the secretary of state: did he have knowledge of this? Did he sign it off? Because that sounds awfully like corruption to me.”

Seely immediately demanded that Nandy withdraw the “completely untrue” allegation and said: “She completely misunderstands and she gets it completely wrong.”

The Isle of Wight MP said Johnson had promised several years ago to correct a “policy flaw” and give his constituency more funding. Seely said he reminded Johnson of this promise before Monday’s vote.

He told MPs: “I said to the prime minister: will you commit to rectifying this wrong, which is a policy flaw, and he said yes – and I reminded him of that promise beforehand.

“So did I ask for a bag of cash? No, and it is completely untrue for her to say that, so she can get up now and apologise.”

Seely then shouted “withdraw” across the Commons chamber as Nandy rose to her feet.

Nandy said she was quoting from Seely’s statement on his own website – as Seely said “untrue” in the background.

Raising a point of order, in which MPs draw attention to a rule violation by another member, he added: “This is a very serious allegation. Corruption has been alleged and there is no basis for it and it should be withdrawn.”

Laing said she was not in a position to judge whether Nandy was misrepresenting Seely’s statement so asked the Labour MP to withdraw the “very serious” allegation.

Nandy agreed to withdraw the “corruption” remark but said it “looks awfully dodgy”.

Seely later called the allegation “silly” and said: “For the record, I make no apology for persuading the government to treat to the Isle of Wight like every other island in the UK.

“The island is the most under-represented place in this country – I have twice as many constituents. We are separated by sea from the mainland and I have to fight three times as hard to get any government to listen to me.”

Asked earlier about Seely’s comments, the prime minister’s spokesperson said money for local areas was decided by a process run by civil servants.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×