While the BBC talks about itself, Mikey Smith writes:
The Electoral Commission is taking the Conservative Party to the High Court over the election spending scandal.
The Mirror revealed two months ago that at least 24 Tory MPs had help from notorious battle buses ferrying hundreds of volunteers to marginal constituencies during the 2015 general election but didn’t declare any of the spending as required by law.
Breaching spending limits is a criminal offence and could lead to calls for by-elections.
It comes at an awkward time for David Cameron, who today kicks off an anti-corruption summit in London.
The slowly-unfolding scandal has led to several MPs and one Police and Crime Commissioner coming under criminal investigation by police.
The Electoral Commission are taking the Tories to the High Court to force them to reveal documents detailing the spending on Battle Buses ahead of the 2015 general election.
The Commission have already asked the Tories twice for the documents, but they have only provided "limited" disclosure.
Political parties have a legal obligation to provide full spending disclosures to the Commission on request.
Bob Posner, Director of Party and Election Finance and Legal Counsel at the Electoral Commission said:
"If parties under investigation do not comply with our requirements for the disclosure of relevant material in reasonable time and after sufficient opportunity to do so, the Commission can seek recourse through the courts.
"We are today asking the court to require the Party to fully disclose the documents and information we regard as necessary to effectively progress our investigation into the Party’s campaign spending returns."
The Electoral Commission is taking the Conservative Party to the High Court over the election spending scandal.
The Mirror revealed two months ago that at least 24 Tory MPs had help from notorious battle buses ferrying hundreds of volunteers to marginal constituencies during the 2015 general election but didn’t declare any of the spending as required by law.
Breaching spending limits is a criminal offence and could lead to calls for by-elections.
It comes at an awkward time for David Cameron, who today kicks off an anti-corruption summit in London.
The slowly-unfolding scandal has led to several MPs and one Police and Crime Commissioner coming under criminal investigation by police.
The Electoral Commission are taking the Tories to the High Court to force them to reveal documents detailing the spending on Battle Buses ahead of the 2015 general election.
The Commission have already asked the Tories twice for the documents, but they have only provided "limited" disclosure.
Political parties have a legal obligation to provide full spending disclosures to the Commission on request.
Bob Posner, Director of Party and Election Finance and Legal Counsel at the Electoral Commission said:
"If parties under investigation do not comply with our requirements for the disclosure of relevant material in reasonable time and after sufficient opportunity to do so, the Commission can seek recourse through the courts.
"We are today asking the court to require the Party to fully disclose the documents and information we regard as necessary to effectively progress our investigation into the Party’s campaign spending returns."
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