London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 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
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×