THE SNP has demanded a Cabinet Office probe into allegations that senior Brexit Party figures were offered bribes if they stood down to clear the way for Tory wins in the General Election.
The Metropolitan Police has said it is assessing a claim by Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage that he and eight other senior figures were offered seats in the House of Lords if they agreed not to run against Tory candidates.
The allegation was backed by Brexit Party candidate and former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe who said she would swear on the Bible that she had been approached.
Tommy Sheppard, the SNP’s candidate for Edinburgh East and its Cabinet Office spokesperson, said there should be a “full and frank investigation”.
“While the SNP campaign every day to outline our positive vision for Scotland, the Westminster parties seem more consumed with dodgy back-room deals to rig the system in their own favour – this is unacceptable,” he said.
“We welcome the intervention by the Metropolitan Police in this matter but, given the significant public interest, there must be an urgent inquiry by the Cabinet Office into these shocking allegations, which go to the heart of the abuse of the peerage system.
“The public deserves a full and frank investigation into these deeply concerning claims.”
Boris Johnson said the claims are “nonsense”. He denied there had been any offers of peerages, saying it was “just not the way we operate”.
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