Cambridge Analytica ‘did not work for Leave groups’

CLAIMS that the two Leave campaigns worked with the data harvesting firm Cambridge Analytica (CA) have been dismissed as baseless in an official report by the data protection watchdog.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it found “no evidence that CA were involved in any data analytics work” with the campaigns.

CA, a now-closed UK company, faced a global scandal after harvesting the personal data of 87 million Facebook users. Claims were then made over its involvement in the Brexit campaign and links to leading Leave supporters.

The ICO’S dismissal of those claims was seized on last night by Brexit campaigners, who say inquiries into wrongdoing in the referendum battle are overwhelmingly focused on Leave.

Accusations of “Remain bias” have been made against the Electoral Commission, which has heavily fined and referred several Leave groups to the police. Its chairman has complained about “the panoply of Eurosceptic nonsense about the EU”, and four of the 10 commissioners have made pro-remain remarks since the referendum.

The ICO, which regulates data privacy, has been accused of “colluding” with politicians to “discredit” Brexit.

Leave.eu, the campaign bankrolled by the businessman Arron Banks, had been accused of working with CA to improve its targeting of voters. But the ICO said it found “no evidence” of any “working relationship”, other than four preliminary meetings.

The ICO also found no evidence that Aggregate IQ, a data firm used by Vote Leave, was effectively part of Cambridge Analytica or unlawfully used UK citizens’ data. Mr Banks and his companies are facing £135,000 in fines for other breaches. The ICO is also investigating the main Remain group, Britain Stronger in Europe, over claims that it bought the personal data of Liberal Democrat members from the party for £100,000. The party denies it.

The National Crime Agency has announced a separate investigation into Mr Banks amid claims that he hid the true source of £8million of donations to Leave.eu. He denies wrongdoing.