Christian Wakeford, the Bury South MP who defected from the Conservatives to Labour earlier this week, has named the Yorkshire-born politician as the person he accuses of making the threat.

Mr Williamson told the Sunday Times he had "no recollection" of the alleged incident.When he defected from the Tories to Labour on Wednesday, Bury South MP Christian Wakeford said he had previously been warned funding for a new high school would not go ahead if he voted for a motion criticising the Government over free school meals.

At the time he did not say who was responsible, but speaking to The Sunday Times he said it was Mr Williamson.

Gavin Williamson has said he did not have any recollection of the alleged conversation.

He said that Mr Williamson, a former chief whip and the education secretary at the time, had pulled him out of the House of Commons dining room and told him: “It’s not very helpful to back an opposition (motion) against the department where you’re wanting an extremely large favour from said department, so do consider what you’re doing.”

Mr Wakeford added: “I know the maxim is ‘once a whip, always a whip’, but yeah, that one was Gavin.”

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In the event, the MP chose to abstain in the debate in October 2020 and funding for the school went through as planned the following February.

In response, Mr Williamson told the paper that he did not remember any such conversation taking place with Mr Wakeford.

“I don’t have any recollection of the conversation as described but what I do remember is working tirelessly with Christian and others in order to be able to deliver this school, which I did,” he said.

“Such major investment decisions are made after close analysis of the benefits that the investment will bring and certainly not something that can be decided in a brief conversation like the one described.”

The claim comes as William Wragg, the senior Tory who first raised concerns about the intimidatory tactics used by the whips against MPs calling for Boris Johnson to resign, is set to meet police to discuss the issue.

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