According to Business Insider, Portsmouth North representative Penny Mordaunt has urged the Conservative Party to censure Alexander Temerko and consider disciplinary measures after the argument over the project to build an electricity link between England and France.
Her message to party bosses was that it was ‘not appropriate for things to carry on as business as usual’ and that it would be ‘very bad if this went unaddressed,’ sources told Insider.
The party co-chairman Oliver Dowden was said to have been ‘receptive’ but the sources suggested Mordaunt would consider a more formal complaints procedure if no action was taken against Temerko.
As reported, Temerko threatened the trade minister with legal action in January after the Aquind project was blocked by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, describing her as the ‘biggest threat to security.’ He also said he would write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whom he describes as a friend, regarding her position in the government.
He has since dropped his threat of legal action, but is ploughing ahead with a judicial review of Aquind – which local group Let’s Stop Aquind has vowed to fight.
Speaking to Insider, Mordaunt said: ‘Every member of our party is rightly held to a standard of conduct. This applies to donors too. If we don't address this kind of behaviour we are doing both our elected representatives and our donor community a disservice.
‘It also undermines public trust. It is quite wrong and needs to be recognised as such.’
Aquind and Temerko have donated a combined £1.1 million to the Tory party, which included contributions to 21 Tory MPs and ministers.