Northampton Town loan: MP David Mackintosh should 'consider position'

Mr Mackintosh said he was "happy to answer any questions" the local party might have about the loan

An MP criticised over a £10.25m loan to redevelop a football stadium will have to "consider his position", his local party chairman has said.

Northampton South Tory David Mackintosh was criticised in a report over the loan to Northampton Town from the borough council when he was leader.

Constituency chairman Suresh Patel said Mr Mackintosh should answer to local members at a meeting on 9 December.

Mr Mackintosh said he was "happy" to answer questions about the loan.

Northampton Town was given the money to redevelop Sixfields stadium, with much of it being passed to a company called 1st Land Ltd.

The company is now in liquidation while the work on Sixfields was not completed.

Mr Mackintosh benefited from "hidden" donations to his general election fighting fund from 1st Land, a BBC investigation found.

Mr Mackintosh previously said he had "no reason to believe" that the donations were from anyone other than the named donors.

This is currently subject to a separate police investigation.

Work is yet to finish at the Sixfields Stadium

An audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers found the borough council cabinet lacked full information on the risks when it approved the transaction in 2013.

The report said Mr Mackintosh, who was leader of the authority for four years before becoming an MP in 2015, wanted to "conclude the transaction promptly".

Speaking about Mr Mackintosh's role, Mr Patel said: "He needs to consider his position. He has a duty to the party and to its membership."

Mr Mackintosh said: "I am happy to answer any questions the local party might have about the loan."

A motion expressing Northampton South Conservative Association's "disappointment" will be put to its executive committee on 9 December.