Labour fined £20,000 for undeclared election spending – including Ed Stone 

Ed Miliband has Labour’s six election pledges inscribed in stone - then Iain McNicol failed to list it as an election expense.

Ed Miliband has Labour’s six election pledges inscribed in stone – then Iain McNicol failed to list it as an election expense.

How will Labour’s right-wingers manage to blame Jeremy Corbyn for this?

Seriously, the fine raises further concerns about the party’s general secretary, Iain McNicol, at a time when his conduct is already being questioned in relation to his role in the ‘purge’ of members prior to the leadership election that ended in September.

Let’s not forget, also that a much larger investigation, involving dozens of police forces, is looking into the possibility that many Conservative MPs overspent their way into Parliament and failed to declare it.

The findings of that inquiry may render this fine insignificant and could even topple the Conservative government’s precarious 12-seat majority in the House of Commons.

That is something to remember when perusing press coverage of both investigations.

Or, as this Twitter user put it:

Labour has been fined £20,000 by the Electoral Commission, the largest imposed by the body in its history, for undeclared election spending during the 2015 campaign, including more than £7,000 on the so-called “Ed Stone”.

The commission launched an investigation into two payments totalling £7,614 missing from the party’s election return that were spent on the stone tablet on which then Labour leader, Ed Miliband, had carved his six key election pledges, promising to display it in the Downing Street rose garden if he won the election.

The problems with the party’s spending came to light when the commission published the return in January, and journalists immediately contacted the commission because they could not find any reference to the 8ft 6in, two-tonne slab of limestone. The commission then found the item was indeed missing from the return, and began a full inquiry.

After the commission launched its investigation, the party undertook an internal review, unearthing 24 other undeclared election expenses totalling £109,777.

However, the commission’s investigation then identified 49 further missing payments totalling £11,357 that related to the transport of the party’s activists on the Labour Express tour and Labour Students tour during the election.

The commission also found invoices were missing from the Labour party’s return, with 33 bills totalling £34,392 absent from the accounts.

The commission said Labour’s general secretary, Iain McNicol, who is also its registered treasurer, had committed two election offences, involving missing payments of £123,748 from the campaign spending return and for failing to deliver invoices and receipts of more than £200 for payments totalling £34,392.

Source: Labour fined £20,000 for undeclared election spending including for Ed Stone | Politics | The Guardian

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11 Comments

  1. thelovelywibblywobblyoldlady October 25, 2016 at 4:09 pm - Reply

    Ha ha ha Iain McNicol ho ho ho …. let my joy be unconfined!

  2. Roland Laycock October 25, 2016 at 4:38 pm - Reply

    Iain McNicol should be given the boot ASAP

  3. mohandeer October 25, 2016 at 5:38 pm - Reply

    Wow, fancy paying so much money for insipid promises which, without John McDonnells insights, they couldn’t even deliver on. I suppose the “Mansion Tax” was going to pay for most of it? Housing, jobs, the NHS, better schools, what a drip our Ed was.

  4. John October 25, 2016 at 8:38 pm - Reply

    Does strike me as a bit bizarre how we’re all waiting for the outcome of the Tory Election Fraud…. but we hear about Labour first !!!!!!!!

  5. casalealex October 25, 2016 at 9:11 pm - Reply

    The Electoral Commission have certainly done their homework; but what about the Tories’ election inquiry – sure taking its time!

  6. jeffrey davies October 26, 2016 at 6:06 am - Reply

    torys next hmmm

  7. Joan Edington October 26, 2016 at 7:34 am - Reply

    If the Electoral Commission can investigate and fine the Labour party so quickly, how come it needs the combined might of so many police forces to come up with enough to make a large hole in Tory finances, if not jail sentences?

    • Mike Sivier October 31, 2016 at 2:44 pm - Reply

      I think Labour co-operated.

  8. Dez October 26, 2016 at 9:48 am - Reply

    Wow good to see such in depth due diligence going to great lengths auditing this issue I only hope all those Tory seats, especially Thanet ref the Farage contest, get the same in depth audits. Equally I agree I hope the press/media give the same visibility to the Tory election funding issues when and if they eventually come out of the wash. As a side issue does not look good for the accounting and management of Labours valuable funds does not feel they are in safe hands. As for the numpty who dreampt up the Flintstone slab they need to be personally sent the bill for that PR disaster brainwave…..they can use if for a rockery or garden seat.

  9. Zippi October 26, 2016 at 1:10 pm - Reply

    It would appear that this man is not good at his job and should give it up to somebody who can fulfill the remit. How, of all things to omit, could he fail to declare that infamous stone? For shame!

  10. Lin Wren October 26, 2016 at 7:46 pm - Reply

    I hope he has more to come the nasty sly coward. He should be made to repay all fines & not the members

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