Coverage of election expenses scandal on Channel 4 News is NOT the full story

Last Updated: May 23, 2016By
David Cameron (left) with Chris Davies (centre). When this photo was taken in 2014, he was just a Tory candidate; now he's a Tory MP - unless Dyfed Powys Police decide he has fiddled his expenses and prosecutes him. If that happens, he may end up a jailbird.

David Cameron (left) with Chris Davies (centre). When this photo was taken in 2014, Mr Davies was just a Tory candidate; now he’s a Tory MP – unless Dyfed Powys Police decide he has fiddled his expenses and prosecutes him. If that happens, he may end up a jailbird.

But you really should check in and read it anyway.

Channel 4 News has covered the story very well, but can only discuss the investigations its newsgatherers know are taking place.

This means somebody needs to have contacted them to say an investigation is ongoing, and they need to have received confirmation from the police.

So I should really send in an email to point out that Dyfed Powys Police – a force not mentioned in the report – is apparently investigating Montgomershire MP Glyn Davies, and definitely investigating Brecon and Radnorshire MP Chris Davies.

I know, because I reported him.

I had confirmation that the Financial Crime Team is looking into the matter earlier today.

I bet I’m not the only one to have done this in constituencies not mentioned by Channel 4 News or the Daily Mirror, either.

Who knows how many MPs and candidates will end up in disgrace as a result of the Conservatives’ disgraceful 2015 campaign?

Election laws exist to protect our democracy and ensure a level playing field. Candidates and parties must declare all their campaign spending, and stick within spending limits, to stop richer parties gaining an unfair advantage.Yet a Channel 4 investigation has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting large-scale and systematic abuse of election rules by the Conservative Party in last year’s General Election and three key by-elections in 2014.

The alleged abuse strikes at the very heart of fairness in Britain and the integrity of our democracy. Now the Electoral Commission has launched an investigation, along with ten police forces across the country.

Source: Election Expenses exposed – Channel 4 News

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10 Comments

  1. tina May 23, 2016 at 10:05 pm - Reply

    We need to talk, having real trouble getting Wiltshire Police to officially start an investigation, they say they are and are “looking into” an extension but nothing is happening, two weeks to go before the deadline!

    • Mike Sivier May 24, 2016 at 12:28 am - Reply

      Talk to your police and crime commissioner.

      • tina May 24, 2016 at 8:49 am - Reply

        Have been for the last six weeks! Well the SPOC at least. The newly re-elected Tory PCC is probably the problem. Why would they seek to prosecute their own? A non partisan PCC culture is needed!

        • Mike Sivier May 24, 2016 at 9:03 am - Reply

          Then ask for a crime recording number, as Brian has just recommended, and also take the story to the newspapers so the matter is in the public domain.

    • tina May 26, 2016 at 7:21 pm - Reply

      Today, they have finally gone to a magistrate and been granted an extension.

  2. Wanda Lozinska May 24, 2016 at 1:10 am - Reply

    I’ve been told that officials have taken paperwork from the office of Stroud MP Neil Carmichael. This is a marginal seat which had been under Labour from 1997 to 2010 and our previous Labour MP was expected to win it back in 2015.

    • NMac May 25, 2016 at 10:24 am - Reply

      Pleased to hear Gloucestershire police are taking these allegations seriously Wanda. I also believe they are investigating the current Cheltenham MP.

  3. Wanda Lozinska May 24, 2016 at 1:18 am - Reply

    More shenanigans exposed on here:
    http://www.michaelmeacher.info/weblog/2014/12/tories-buy-election/

    “In March this year [2014] the Electoral Commission recommended there should be no increase in spending limits for candidates between now and the general election on 7 May. It also proposed that there should be only an increase in spending of £2.9m for the ‘short’ 3-week campaign leading up to the election. So what did the Tories do? Ignoring the official recommendations of the Electoral Commission, they pushed through increases in permitted spending twice those proposed by the Commission.”

    “But that’s only half of it. The Tories have raised a colossal £78m in the last 4 years, and significantly no less than £21m (more than a quarter) has come from hedge fund donors. Why have the latter been so generous? Perhaps the fact that Osborne in the small print of his 2013 budget abolished stamp duty reserve tax on hedge funds may have something to do with it. That little-noticed giveaway was worth £145m to the hedgies!”

    “Another relevant sleight of hand the Tories have used involves secretive unincorporated associations such as dinner clubs which don’t have to declare the identity of their members. Two of these well-endowed clubs have now greatly increased their donations to marginal seats. In this last quarter 34 Tory associations, all in marginal seats, received funds totalling £116m from these 2 clubs alone.”

    By Michael Meacher MP

  4. Brian May 24, 2016 at 1:33 am - Reply

    In addition to Mikes comment; Any one doing this that is not happy with the action being taken should make a complaint in person and ask for a crime recording number. This gives evidence of the report and can not be ignored.

  5. mrmarcpc May 24, 2016 at 1:26 pm - Reply

    Everything these posh, pampered rats have done should be exposed!

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