Brexit campaign group Vote Leave referred to police for breaching spending rules

[webfact]

Brexit campaign group Vote Leave referred to police for breaching spending rules

 

A Vote Leave supporter holds up a Union flag outside Downing Street after Britain voted to leave on the European Union in London, Britain, June 24, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Electoral Commission said on Tuesday it had fined the officially designated pro-Brexit campaign group 61,000 pounds ($80,843) for breaching spending rules in the 2016 referendum and referred it to the police.

 

Two years since voting 51.9-48.1 to leave the EU, the United Kingdom, the political elite and business remain deeply divided over whether the country should leave the European Union on March 29, 2019, and if so how.

 

While opponents of Brexit have claimed the campaign to leave the EU cheated in the referendum, the Electoral Commission's chief executive Claire Bassett told BBC radio that its investigation was focused only on campaign spending violations.

 

The commission said Vote Leave worked with another campaign group, BeLeave, which spent 675,000 pounds ($893,500) with Aggregate IQ, a company which used social media data to target voters, under a common plan with Vote Leave.

 

"We found substantial evidence that the two groups worked to a common plan, did not declare their joint working and did not adhere to the legal spending limits," Bob Posner, the commission's director of political finance and regulation.

 

Posner added that Vote Leave had resisted the investigation from the start and had refused to cooperate.

 

"Nevertheless, the evidence we have found is clear and substantial," Posner said. "These are serious breaches of the laws put in place by Parliament to ensure fairness and transparency at elections and referendums."

 

Vote Leave was fined 61,000 pounds and the Electoral Commission referred David Halsall, the responsible person for Vote Leave, and Darren Grimes, the founder of the BeLeave campaign group, to the police for false declarations of campaign spending.

 

Supporters of Brexit say they are fighting an attempt by the establishment to thwart Brexit.

 

"The Electoral Commission’s report contains a number of false accusations and incorrect assertions that are wholly inaccurate and do not stand up to scrutiny," a Vote Leave spokesman said in a statement.

 

"All this suggests that the supposedly impartial Commission is motivated by a political agenda rather than uncovering the facts."

Under British electoral law it is the responsibility of campaigners to ensure that an accurate and complete campaign spending return is completed on time.

 

The commission opened an investigation in November 2017 after it found evidence indicating that Vote Leave had made payments to Aggregate IQ in the 10 days before the referendum.

 

The investigation found that Vote Leave's referendum spending was 7,449,079.34 pounds, exceeding its statutory spending limit of 7 million pounds.

 

($1 = 0.7555 pounds)

 

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Michael Holden)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-17

[Topdoc]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The investigation found that Vote Leave's referendum spending was 7,449,079.34 pounds, exceeding its statutory spending limit of 7 million pounds.

Who cares!

Just another article to discredit the vote winners.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, Topdoc said:

Who cares!

Just another article to discredit the vote winners.

Let’s see where the investigation leads.

[RuamRudy]

3 hours ago, Topdoc said:

Who cares!

Just another article to discredit the vote winners.

Surely anyone interested in the true meaning of democracy should care?

[Estrada]

I have known Anthony Bamford, now Lord Bamford of JCB since 1974. He gave GBP 673,000 to the Brexit Campaign to boost his profits and line his pockets, not for the benefit for the people of the UK. One of the 3 Pro-Brexit funds which included, Vote Leave and Beleave campaign even has a link to an operative at the Russian Embassy in the latest findings. The Brexit vote was unfair as the majority of British people did not vote for leave as so many were not able to vote. Voting should have been compulsory, including Brits living and working overseas and a 60% Majority for Brexit would have been clearly acceptable so that it can truly be said that the result of the referendum was the decision of the British people. The referendum was only advisory with Parliament to decide they went ahead and now there is a mess. There should be another referendum based on the true facts without the lies from Nigel Farage, Donald Trump and Boris Johnson. The outcome of the second referendum with a 60/40 majority requirement, should be given to Parliament who should decide what is best for the UK  

[dick dasterdly]

Presumably the govt. campaign expenses (leaflet 'explaining' why remain was the better option;/Osborne's promised 'fear budget in the event of a leave vote') have not been taken into consideration by the electoral system?

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Presumably the govt. campaign expenses (leaflet 'explaining' why remain was the better option;/Osborne's promised 'fear budget in the event of a leave vote') have not been taken into consideration by the electoral system?

File a police complaint if you’ve bought that whataboutary.

[Baerboxer]

20 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

Surely anyone interested in the true meaning of democracy should care?

 

No apparently it's o k to cheat, break the rules and the law, as long as you have the right political view.?

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

Presumably the govt. campaign expenses (leaflet 'explaining' why remain was the better option;/Osborne's promised 'fear budget in the event of a leave vote') have not been taken into consideration by the electoral system?

 

You are entitled to make a complaint which the police are obliged to investigate.

 

Let us know how you get on.

[Jonmarleesco]

Heaven forbid that Vote Remain should have flouted the rules. But only because they were so damned complacent. 

[3NUMBAS]

a stitch up by loser remainers ..just like hillary niggles trump for losing

[Jane Dough]

Why are Remainers so scared of a second vote? Could it be that they would have their bottoms spanked by a public who would a) see the error of their ways and b) come out to vote after being complacent. 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

Why are Remainers so scared of a second vote? Could it be that they would have their bottoms spanked by a public who would a) see the error of their ways and b) come out to vote after being complacent. 

The idea of a second vote came from Remain.

 

Go go read all the Brexiteers complaining about the idea.

 

Doh!

[melvinmelvin]

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The idea of a second vote came from Remain.

 

Go go read all the Brexiteers complaining about the idea.

 

Doh!

agree, think the EUers would welcome a 2nd referendum at this stage

 

now,

if that were to happen, what impression would that give of the UK? Cannot carry out a referendum on a straight political issue

after years of discussions

the UK gov is sufficiently clusterfucked as it is - no need to go the extremes an have another referendum

 

[buggerlugs]

The government spent £9,000,000  on just 1 leaflet to promote 'remain'. 

Despite all the gloom and doom merchants prophecy's the UK economy is booming compared to the rest of Europe. Eg. unemployment is at half that of the rest of Europe and as to vested interests backing the 'leave' camp, ask why the American speculator George Soros has put so much money in backing Remain. 

I grew up under the impression that Britain was a democracy. The people voted and the result is what it is, like it or not. It is like the losing side of a general election saying 'I don't like that result so we should have another vote'

As it happens I did not vote to leave but i DO believe in that idea of Democracy.

Neither side can claim the high ground but the people have spoken so let's get on with it!

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, buggerlugs said:

The government spent £9,000,000  on just 1 leaflet to promote 'remain'. 

Despite all the gloom and doom merchants prophecy's the UK economy is booming compared to the rest of Europe. Eg. unemployment is at half that of the rest of Europe and as to vested interests backing the 'leave' camp, ask why the American speculator George Soros has put so much money in backing Remain. 

I grew up under the impression that Britain was a democracy. The people voted and the result is what it is, like it or not. It is like the losing side of a general election saying 'I don't like that result so we should have another vote'

As it happens I did not vote to leave but i DO believe in that idea of Democracy.

Neither side can claim the high ground but the people have spoken so let's get on with it!

The people have voted, but for what nobody knows.

[Jane Dough]

On 7/18/2018 at 8:49 PM, Chomper Higgot said:

The idea of a second vote came from Remain.

 

Go go read all the Brexiteers complaining about the idea.

 

Doh!

How right you are.....my mistake