Jake Berry has described Matt Hancock as "drunk on power" during the pandemic as he said the former health secretary should be questioned in the House of Commons over his leaked WhatsApps.
It comes after The Telegraph revealed the former health secretary discussed a plan to block funding for a disabled children's' centre as a way of pressuring a rebel MP to vote for new lockdown restrictions.
The ex-Conservative Party chairman called for Mr Hancock to be grilled over his proposed tactics following the latest Lockdown Files revelations.
MP for Rossendale and Darwen Mr Berry wrote on Twitter last night: "This is an absolute disgrace.
"Hancock should be dragged to the bar of the House of Commons first thing tomorrow morning to be questioned on this. #Hancock."
He also said on Times Radio this morning that the tactics "crossed line" - and called for an apology.
'Completely unacceptable'
Mr Berry told host Kate McCann: "What he has effectively said is that he wants to weaponise provision of care for disabled children to force MPs to vote in a certain way...This clearly shows someone who is prepared to do anything to get their own way or someone who is drunk on the power of ordering people round and telling people what to do."
The MP, who himself has a son with additional needs, said that while he understands there is "arm twisting and leverage nd cajoling" done in politics the plan was "completely unacceptable" and he would have made it public if it was put to him at the time.
It comes as The Telegraph's Lockdown Files team published a series of WhatsApp messages showing Mr Hancock's aide Allan Nixon suggested "dangling our top asks" over a so-called "2019 intake of MPs" who he said were "going off the boil".
The messages were sent ahead of a December 2020 vote on a toughened new local tiers system, which only scraped through after Labour abstained - the biggest rebellion of Boris Johnson's administration.
In the WhatsApp exchange, Mr Nixon continues: "Thoughts on me suggesting to Chief's spads that they give us a list of the 2019 intakes thinking of rebelling?
'Appalled'
"E.g James wants his Learning Disbility Hub in Bury - whips call him up and say Health team want to work with him to deliver this but that'll be off the table if he rebels."
He urges his boss Mr Hancock to "seriously consider" using the centre as leverage.
The messages show the then health secretary replied: "Yes 100 per cent."
Mr Daly – whose constituency is the most marginal in the UK mainland with a majority of just 105 – told The Telegraph he was “appalled” and “disgusted” that the disability hub, for which he had been campaigning, had been discussed as a way of coercing him into voting with the Government.
He said he wasn't ever contacted by the Whips' Office on the matter, however, and his parliamentary record shows he voted against the government.
