Banks calls for Brexit bias probe
PRESSURE is mounting for a parliamentary inquiry into Brexit bias at the Electoral Commission – after it accepted that Arron Banks was innocent of the allegations it had made against him.
The watchdog had referred the Leave.eu founder to the National Crime Agency (NCA) after his campaign was fined for breaking electoral law.
But the NCA said there was no evidence of criminal offences.
Last week the Electoral Commission said it had “agreed amicable terms of settlement” with Mr Banks and accepts the NCA’S conclusions.
Writing for the Sunday Express today, Mr Banks has revealed that he is demanding a Parliamentary inquiry into the watchdog.
The businessman has been backed by senior Tory MPS who have called for the elections regulator scrapped and replaced.
North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen, said: “The Electoral Commission has shown that it is not fit for purpose and has pandered to the remainer lobby.”
Wellingborough MP Peter Bone, who founded Grassroots Out, said: “It’s time Parliament looks into the Electoral Commission. They have serious questions to answer.”
Those questions first surfaced when a £20,000 fine it had imposed on Vote Leave campaigner Darren Grimes was overturned in court.
Mr Grimes was punished last year after being accused of breaching spending rules during the 2016 EU Referendum.
Nigel Farage, a friend of Mr to be
Banks, accused the Electoral Commission of being part of the “Remain Establishment” and being biased against Brexit.
Theresa May’s former adviser, Nick Timothy, added: “The Electoral Commission is discredited and bust.”
Suspicions were also raised by a refusal by the commission to investigate Remain groups when Priti Patel presented them with evidence before she became Home Secretary.
A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said: “There is no substance to allegations that the commission is biased. We carry out our regulatory investigations to the highest standards.
“In the last five years, the commission has concluded nearly 500 investigations. Only five have been challenged in the courts and only a single legal challenge was upheld.”