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Electoral Commission launches inquiry into leave campaign funding Electoral Commission launches inquiry into leave campaign funding
(35 minutes later)
The Electoral Commission is to investigate Vote Leave for a potential breach of spending limits during the EU referendum campaign, and a student campaigner who received £625,000 from the organisation.The Electoral Commission is to investigate Vote Leave for a potential breach of spending limits during the EU referendum campaign, and a student campaigner who received £625,000 from the organisation.
The watchdog will investigate whether the officially designated Brexit campaign during the referendum, fronted by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, breached the £7m legal spending limit and whether it had filed its returncorrectly. The watchdog will investigate whether the officially designated Brexit campaign during the referendum, fronted by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, breached the £7m legal spending limit and whether it had filed its return correctly.
The commission said new information had come to light which meant it had “reasonable grounds to suspect an offence may have been committed”. The commission said new information had come to light, which meant it had “reasonable grounds to suspect an offence may have been committed”.
Darren Grimes, who founded pro-Brexit youth campaign BeLeave, will also be investigated separately over donations from Vote Leave. The watchdog said the sums may have been been incorrectly reported in spending returns. Darren Grimes, who founded the pro-Brexit youth campaign BeLeave, will also be investigated separately over donations from Vote Leave. The watchdog said the sums may have been incorrectly reported in spending returns.
Electoral Commission records show that Vote Leave donated the money to Grimes via four separate donations over eight days in the run-up to polling day, but the cash was paid directly to data analytics firm AggregateIQ, on behalf of BeLeave.Electoral Commission records show that Vote Leave donated the money to Grimes via four separate donations over eight days in the run-up to polling day, but the cash was paid directly to data analytics firm AggregateIQ, on behalf of BeLeave.
As a registered leave campaigner, fashion design student Grimes was permitted to spend up to £700,000 during the referendum campaign. Vote Leave’s limit as the designated pro-leave campaign was £7m. Vote Leave also spent significant sums on AggregateIQ, a Canadian firm based in Victoria, British Columbia. Electoral campaign records show Vote Leave spent around 40% of its entire £6.8m total spend on using the firm’s data analysis services. Vote Leave’s limit as the designated pro-leave campaign was £7m
As a registered independent leave campaigner, fashion design student Grimes was permitted to spend up to £700,000 during the referendum campaign.
Bob Posner, the electoral commission’s director of political finance and regulation, said there were legitimate questions over the funding of campaigners which “risks causing harm to voters’ confidence in the referendum”.Bob Posner, the electoral commission’s director of political finance and regulation, said there were legitimate questions over the funding of campaigners which “risks causing harm to voters’ confidence in the referendum”.
“There is significant public interest in being satisfied that the facts are known about Vote Leave’s spending on the campaign, particularly as it was a lead campaigner with a greater spending limit than any other campaigners on the ‘leave’ side.” “There is significant public interest in being satisfied that the facts are known about Vote Leave’s spending on the campaign, particularly as it was a lead campaigner with a greater spending limit than any other campaigners on the leave side.”
A second group called Veterans for Britain is also under investigation by the commission. A second group called Veterans for Britain is also under investigation by the commission. Veterans for Britain received a donation worth £100,000 from Vote Leave in the run-up to the 2016 vote. The campaign group assembled to put forward defence and security arguments in support of Britain leaving the EU.
Veterans for Britain received a donation worth £100,000 from Vote Leave in the run-up to the 2016 vote. The campaign group assembled to put forward defence and security arguments in support of Britain leaving the EU. Among its advisory board were high-profile defence and security figures including Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan. Among its advisory board were high-profile defence and security figures including Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan.
Vote Leave was run day to day by political strategist Matthew Elliott and former special adviser Dominic Cummings. Grimes is now the deputy editor of the Brexit Central website, where Elliott is now editor-at-large.Vote Leave was run day to day by political strategist Matthew Elliott and former special adviser Dominic Cummings. Grimes is now the deputy editor of the Brexit Central website, where Elliott is now editor-at-large.
The investigation has been opened after a review of previous assessments that the Electoral Commission conducted in February and March 2017, where it initially decided no further action was needed. If the watchdog finds that the breaches have been committed, it may impose a fine of up to £20,000 for each individual offence.
The Electoral Commission said it had reopened investigations into Vote Leave and Grimes after a review of previous assessments the watchdog conducted in February and March 2017, where it initially decided no further action was needed.
The decision to reopen the investigation comes after a crowd-funded legal campaign by the Good Law Project, which initiated judicial review proceedings in the high court. That came after the watchdog had initially declared there were no reasonable grounds for suspecting Grimes’s spending with AggregateIQ was a breach of the spending rules.
Maugham told the Guardian the Electoral Commission had been due to serve their pleadings on Tuesday. “We are 18 months after the referendum vote. It is extraordinary that only now is the Electoral Commission taking a serious look at whether the rules were complied with. And only in response to legal action,” he said.