Court orders Brexit Party to pay Labour’scosts

High Court orders Mike Greene to pay Labour’s costs

The Brexit Party candidate at two elections in Peterborough last year has been ordered to pay the Labour Party’s full legal costs after dropping a High Court challenge.

Mike Greene had filed an election petition last year after losing a parliamentary byelection in June to Labour’s Lisa Forbes by 683 votes.

The entrepreneur alleged that an activist who had in the past been convicted of vote rigging was part of Ms Forbes’ campaign team – an allegation strenuously denied by both Ms Forbes and Labour – and that electoral fraud had taken place during the campaign, although there were no suggestions of any wrongdoing by Ms Forbes.

Mr Greene also claimed that CCTV footage requested from one polling station in Peterborough had been destroyed.

However, last year he applied to the High Court to withdraw the petition just a week before it was due to be put before judges at a pre-trial hearing, citing the huge cost of pursuing the action and the likelihood of a General Election (which ended up being held two months later).

At the time the businessman told the Peterborough Telegraph: “We have been told that in cases similar to this the costs have been £400,000 and £600,000.

“Given the circumstances and the likelihood of another election coupled with the costs of taking this action forward

WE CAN GET

YOU MOVING! it did not make sense to continue.”

The High Court has now agreed for the election petition to be withdrawn but ordered Mr Greene to pay the Labour Party’s full legal costs.

A Brexit Party spokesman denied this was the case when contacted by the PT and referred the paper to Mr Greene, who declined to comment, as did Brexit Party chair Richard Tice who claimed legal proceedings were still ongoing.

The by-election was held after sitting MP Fiona Onasanya was removed from Parliament following the first successful Recall Petition in UK history.

Ms Onasanya was sacked by her constituents after being jailed for three months for perverting the course after she was found to have lied over speeding points.

The by-election was the first time the Brexit Party had contested a Parliamentary election, with the campaign in the pro-Leave constituency receiving huge attention both nationally and locally.

But despite nearly claiming victory in June, Mr Greene came fourth at the General Election in December which was won by Conservative candidate Paul Bristow.

Labour has continually denied the allegations put forward by Mr Greene.

A Labour spokesperson said: “We are glad this matter has been resolved and these spurious allegations have been disproven.”

Mike Greene