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Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay charged over election expenses Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay charged over election expenses
(35 minutes later)
A Conservative candidate has been charged over his election expenses. The Conservative candidate for South Thanet has been charged for alleged overspending in the 2015 general election campaign.
Craig Mackinlay, who is running for South Thanet in the general election on 8 June, has been investigated for alleged overspending in the 2015 General Election campaign. Craig Mackinlay, who is running again on 8 June, stands accused under the Representation of the People Act 1983, alongside his election agent Nathan Gray and party activist Marion Little.
Mr Mackinlay defeated the then UKIP leader Nigel Farage in the ballot. Other Tory candidates have been cleared of national battle bus campaigning.
Police forces have been investigating if some Tory agents should have filed costs for battle bus visits to constituencies under local expenses. The remaining allegations were also unfounded, the Conservative Party said.
Police forces have been investigating whether MPs' agents should have filed costs for battle bus visits to constituencies under local expenses.
The Conservative Party said they had been campaigning "across the country for the return of a Conservative government" and, as a result, associated costs were regarded as national and not local expenditure.The Conservative Party said they had been campaigning "across the country for the return of a Conservative government" and, as a result, associated costs were regarded as national and not local expenditure.
Craig Mackinlay, 50, his agent Nathan Gray, 28, and Marion Little a party activist, 62, have each been charged with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983 and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 4 July 2017.
Nick Vamos, CPS head of special crime, said: "On 18 April we received a file of evidence from Kent Police concerning allegations relating to Conservative Party expenditure during the 2015 General Election campaign. We then asked for additional enquiries to be made in advance of the 11 June statutory time limit by when any charges needed to be authorised.
"Those enquiries have now been completed and we have considered the evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
"We have concluded there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to authorise charges against three people."
'Unfounded'
A Conservative Party spokesman said: "The legal authorities have previously cleared Conservative candidates who faced numerous politically motivated and unfounded complaints over the Party's national Battlebus campaigning.
"We continue to believe that this remaining allegation is unfounded. Our candidate has made clear that there was no intention by him or his campaigners to engage in any inappropriate activity. We believe that they have done nothing wrong, and we are confident that this will be proven as the matter progresses.
"The individuals remain innocent unless otherwise proven guilty in a court of law.
"There is a broad consensus that election law is fragmented, confused and unclear, with two different sets of legislation, and poor guidance from the Electoral Commission. Conservatives are committed to strengthening electoral law to tackle the real and proven cases of corruption that were exposed in Tower Hamlets in 2015."