The Tories are attacking the Electoral Commission. What are they trying to hide?

Is Boris Johnson attacking the Electoral Commission to hide his connections with Russian influencers like Evgeny Lebedev?

Boris Johnson’s onslaught against the rule of law is building up speed.

His Conservative government wants to either abolish or significantly reform the Electoral Commission – the independent organisation that regulates political donations, spending and other areas, and has the power to undertake its own investigations, and fine parties and officials for breaches of the rules, although more serious matters are passed to police.

The Liberal Democrats reckon this is an attempt to prevent the exposure of “embarrassing funding connections to Russian oligarchs” – and This Writer finds it a more convincing argument than Labour’s simple claim that it risks undermining faith in democracy.

The reference to the Russia connection seems most likely because Johnson is the kind of man who acts according to his immediate needs. After the so-called ‘Russia Report’ was released, showing that his government had allowed Russians to launder money in the UK, and had turned a blind eye to Russian influence in UK politics, an attack on the organisation that regulates such things seemed inevitable.

The Tories say the Commission should accept more outside scrutiny or be disbanded. I’m not particularly against that idea, but it raises a significant question: whose scrutiny? It would have to be somebody independent – and I doubt the Tories would accept that.

And they say the Commission should not have new powers to prosecute political organisations and/or politicians. Why not? What would be the problem, if it was done with the agreement of these new outside scrutineers?

This affair could tie itself in a nasty little knot if we’re not careful – and, probably, if the Tories get their way.

Source: Tory plan to scrap election watchdog ‘undermines democracy’ | Conservatives | The Guardian

Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/mike-sivier-libel-fight/


Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.

1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.

2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical

3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.


The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

4 Comments

  1. dwrcymru September 3, 2020 at 3:43 pm - Reply

    The tories don’t want to be held account for anything they do, their solution is to remove all the governing bodies that may make them look bad.

  2. SteveH September 5, 2020 at 5:47 pm - Reply

    Well I’m left guessing why you haven’t published my comment. above – It agrees with what you have written and the link leads the reader to an article on the wider corruption and undermining of our democratic institutions. What’s the problem?

    • Mike Sivier September 5, 2020 at 11:45 pm - Reply

      Why do you keep wasting my time asking why I haven’t approved your comments yet? You know I’m going to have to delete it now, in line with my policy on this.

      Sometimes I fall behind on moderating the comments because I am very busy and sometimes unexpected problems turn up and need to be solved as well – just as in everybody else’s life including yours, I am sure.

      In future, try to be patient – and less needy.

  3. SteveH September 6, 2020 at 2:05 am - Reply

    If the state neuters the institutions of democracy it also castrates the democracy that these institutions were put in place to safeguard and protect..
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/01/no-10-lobby-groups-democracy-policy-exchange

Leave A Comment