Swinson urged to explain her expenses

● UK Lib Dem deputy leader questioned over thousands of pounds missed off list

Jo Swinson has been urged to explain what happened to 93,000 items of campaign literature produced for this year’s general election as questions were raised over her election expenses.

The Lib Dem UK deputy leader was challenged by the SNP to prove she had not broken campaign rules by demonstrating the items, which included newsletters and leaflets, were not used to win her East Dunbartonshire seat.

The demand was made by the SNP’S Pete Wishart after it emerged that thousands of pounds of spending were omitted from her expenses. On her signed candidate return, Ms Swinson declared she had spent £14,409 – £210 short of the £14,619 maximum permitted.

Ms Swinson said £2,700 of leaflets and other material bought by the Lib Dems was not delivered and therefore did not count towards her total.

Her official declaration said more than 93,000 items were never used, including around 26,000 copies of her four-page colour newsletter, titled the East Dunbartonshire Standard.

In addition, a further £4,040 of costs were omitted on the basis they were “national” spending promoting the Lib Dems in general rather than Ms Swinson as the local candidate.

East Dunbartonshire was a key target seat for the Lib Dems and Ms Swinson won it back from the SNP’S John Nicolson with a majority of 5,339.

The SNP said the Lib Dems had “disregarded” almost £7,000 spending in East Dunbartonshire. The Lib Dems, however, claimed they had acted within the rules and had evidence of every unused leaflet bought. Mr Wishart said: “Voters will find it hard to believe that so much cash could be spent on leaflets that just vanished. It was an election, not an illusion show.

“This is clearly a very serious matter and the Lib Dems now face very serious questions in East Dunbartonshire. People have a right to know what has gone on here.

“The Lib Dems should be forthright in accounting for the 93,000 campaign materials that mysteriously went unused. That is a huge quantity of leaflets, newsletters and other iterms. What happened to them? How were they disposed of? Do the Lib Dems have receipts or any evidence that these leaflets were never delivered to voters across East Dunbartonshire? If not, people will have good cause to be sceptical.

“After previous probes into election spending, you’d have thought the Lib Dems would have been more careful. Again they’re living dangerously close to the spending limits and seemingly writing off thousands in costs to stay within the rules.”

Mr Wishart added: “There could be serious consequences if it is found out that electoral rules have been flouted for political gain.”

A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: “All expenditure in this election was apportioned correctly and clearly identified in our election return which is now a matter of public record.”