Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Ukip candidate has claims of election malpractice rejected
The Electoral Commission has claimed it has no powers to investigate campaign material after a Ukip city council candidate’s complaint of alleged election malpractice.
Richard West, who stood for the Sturry ward in May’s Canterbury City elections, claimed Labour’s general election candidate Hugh Lanning should not have received free postage on a personal newsletter, as it also focused on several of the party’s city council candidates.
Under present parliamentary rules, general election candidates are permitted one election communication – providing it does not include broader advertising, which the Ukip city council candidate believes was the case.
Mr West, who has also filed a complaint regarding the Electoral Commission’s handling of his allegation, intends to take the issue up directly with the organisation’s chief executive.
He said: “The Electoral Commission, created by the Labour government, seems about as ineffective a deterrent as the financial regulator, also introduced Ukip’s Richard West complained to the Electoral Commission over claims of election malpractice before 2008.
“The way in which my complaint has been handled has shown what a weak system is in place, and is allowing people to take advantage of it.”
Mr West says the Electoral Commission has now referred him to Kent Police to process his complaint, which he claimed would be a waste of taxpayers’ money in terms of investigation time required.
“I don’t accept there can be no case over this – the government needs to have regulation over this in order to prevent abuse,” added Mr West.
Mr Lanning was approached for his reaction to Mr West’s complaint, but declined to comment,
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Megan Phillips, a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission, said: “We have responded to Mr West’s complaints on both the issue of the election material and the complaint on the conduct of the Commission.
“We detailed our view on the matter of the election material that Mr West had concerns about.
“The Commission does not have any powers to investigate the content of campaign materials, and any issues relating to the mailing of elections communications should be taken up with Royal Mail.”
Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies said: “The council and the Electoral Commission have both looked into Mr West’s complaint and can find no evidence of any offence.
“The Electoral Commission has informed Mr West of this. We therefore consider the matter closed.”