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Tory election spending claims: 12 police forces pass files to CPS Tory election spending claims: 12 police forces pass files to CPS
(about 4 hours later)
Twelve police forces have passed files to the Crown Prosecution Service over allegations that Conservatives broke campaign spending laws at the last election, after a 10-month investigation by police forces across the country. A dozen police forces have passed files to the Crown Prosecution Service over allegations that up to 20 Conservative MPs broke local spending limits at the last general election.
The revelation is likely to increase concern in Downing Street and the Conservative party about the seriousness of the investigations, which could affect several sitting MPs and even lead to election results being declared void if there are prosecutions. Prosecutors have to decide whether to charge the MPs or their agents, after a 10-month investigation into whether party spending on an election battlebus that brought activists to marginal seats was wrongly recorded as national spending.
The CPS said it had been passed files from Avon and Somerset; Derbyshire; Cumbria; Devon and Cornwall; Gloucestershire; Greater Manchester; Lincolnshire; the Metropolitan police; Northamptonshire; Nottinghamshire; West Yorkshire; and Staffordshire police. Downing Street refused last night to comment on the development, but senior party figures are concerned that any successful prosecutions of sitting MPs could lead to election results being declared void, causing a string of byelections as the Brexit negotiations draw to a conclusion in late 2018 or early 2019.
They are among the 19 forces that applied for extensions to time limits on investigating election offences last year. Police have not named the Conservative MPs or agents under investigation, but it emerged on Tuesday that Craig Mackinlay, the Tory MP for South Thanet, was interviewed under caution over spending returns related to his electoral battle against the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage.
Police and the CPS are not naming any MPs or agents who may be under investigation as a result of allegations that spending on local campaigning was recorded as national spending in breach of election laws. The revelations rounded off arguably the worst day in Theresa May’s eight-month stint as prime minister, after a Tory rebellion forced her chancellor, Philip Hammond, to drop his plan to raise national insurance for the self-employed only a week after it was announced at the budget.
However, it emerged on Tuesday that Kent police had interviewed Craig Mackinlay, the Tory MP for South Thanet, under caution over his spending returns relating to his campaign against the then Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, in 2015. They have not yet concluded their investigation. There was even speculation in Westminster that May would consider seeking an early general election to draw a line under the spending allegations about the 2015 election.
A Conservative spokesman said: “We are cooperating with the ongoing investigations.” Mackinlay did not reply to a request for comment but has previously said his returns were “lawful and proper”.
Under election laws, candidates for any party can only spend a set amount, typically about £15,000, on their campaign in a constituency. The exact sum is calculated on a per capita basis. Parties are allowed to spend more on nationwide campaigning using separate budgets.
The Scottish National party called on the Conservatives to “come clean” about who authorised spending decisions at the election and suggested the party may have “fraudulently won with a coordinated breach of electoral legislation”.
Pete Wishart, a senior SNP MP, said: “This expenditure was passed off as national expenditure, even though this activity was specifically targeted to support individual candidates. The Conservative central office now must tell us who signed off this expenditure, who authorised it and what advice was given about candidate expenditure. These are very serious allegations and the penalties for those guilty of election fraud could result in large fines and even imprisonment.”
Warwickshire police also said they had interviewed two people as part of their investigation, and a decision would be made soon about whether to hand the file to prosecutors.
Prosecutors have already received files from Avon and Somerset; Cumbria; Derbyshire; Devon and Cornwall; Gloucestershire; Greater Manchester; Lincolnshire; the Metropolitan police; Northamptonshire; Nottinghamshire; Staffordshire; and West Yorkshire police.
Earlier on Wednesday, Will Quince, the Tory MP for Colchester, also revealed he had been interviewed under caution over allegations about overspending in the last general election. He said police told him there would be no further action against him after the interview, which took place in January.Earlier on Wednesday, Will Quince, the Tory MP for Colchester, also revealed he had been interviewed under caution over allegations about overspending in the last general election. He said police told him there would be no further action against him after the interview, which took place in January.
Warwickshire police also said it had interviewed two people as part of its investigation, and that a decision would be made soon about whether to hand the file to prosecutors. A separate Electoral Commission inquiry into whether the national party broke election spending limits is also under way and is expected to come to a head soon, potentially within days.
A separate Electoral Commission inquiry into whether the national party broke election spending limits is also under way and expected to come to a head soon, potentially within days. The allegation, first uncovered by the Daily Mirror, is that spending in marginal seats on a battlebus tour was wrongly recorded as national, rather than local, spending to help specific candidates win against their Labour, Lib Dem or Ukip opponents.
Asked about the Mackinlay interview, a Conservative spokesman said: “We are cooperating with the ongoing investigations.” Mackinlay did not reply to a request for comment but has previously said his returns were “lawful and proper”. Channel 4 also revealed separate allegations concerning South Thanet, showing that the hotel expenses of a team of Conservative party officials, including Nick Timothy, who is now May’s chief of staff, had been recorded as national rather than local. Emails obtained by the broadcaster suggest two of May’s other aides, Stephen Parkinson and Chris Brannigan, were closely involved in Mackinlay’s campaign but expenses relating to their efforts were not recorded as local spending.
The allegations, first uncovered by the Daily Mirror, are that spending in marginal seats on a battlebus tour was wrongly recorded as national, rather than local, spending. Channel 4 also revealed separate allegations concerning South Thanet about the expenses of a team of party officials, including Theresa May’s chief of staff, Nick Timothy, being recorded as national rather than local. Mackinlay held off Farage by 2,812 votes in the closely fought seat, declaring spending of £15,016, slightly below the limit of £16,000.
Mackinlay held Farage off by 2,812 votes and declared spending of £15,016, slightly below the limit of £16,000. Under election laws, any costs incurred to promote a candidate must be declared on local candidate spending returns. But receipts for national Conservative party spending show that £18,000 was spent on accommodation for party workers in the Royal Harbour hotel in Ramsgate, in the South Thanet constituency, and a Premier Inn in Margate, which is just outside it. A further £715 was spent on the Alpha hostel, used to accommodate a busload of activists who took part in a Stop Farage campaign.
Receipts for national Conservative party spending show that £18,000 was spent on accommodation for party workers in the Royal Harbour hotel in Ramsgate, in South Thanet, and a Premier Inn in Margate, which is just outside it. A further £715 was spent on the Alpha hostel, used to accommodate a busload of activists who took part in a Stop Farage campaign. Adding to pressure on May, the party is facing a mutiny from Conservative MPs under investigation who feel they have been hung out to dry by the party, which organised the battle bus campaign centrally.
The penalties for wrongly declaring local elections are steep, with possible criminal charges for MPs and their election agents. Results can also be declared void. One MP, who said he did not know whether the police investigation against him was still live, said it had been a “terrible year with this hanging over us and no support at all from CCHQ”.
Speculation has been rife in Westminster that a series of byelections could be triggered by police prosecutions over spending or potentially encourage May to call a general election to avoid an embarrassing focus on the constituencies involved. In a leaked email to Patrick McLoughlin, the party chairman, Karl McCartney, the MP for Lincoln, complained they felt “completely cast adrift” and had been “left to fend for themselves”.
In a statement, Mr McCartney said he had made clear his “forthright views” privately to a number of senior party figures on behalf of backbenchers.
Quince, who is no longer facing charges, said he considered the allegation to have been “vexatious and politically motivated”. He added: “Politics is not a game. I would ask those individuals to think about the cost of this investigation, the important work those police officers could have instead been doing over this lengthy period, the stress that it put me, my family and my team under and the reputational damage to me personally.”