Election chief who led Tory expenses witch-hunt posted: I hate Tories
TORIES have demanded the sacking of the official who investigated election campaign spending after prosecutors decided against criminal charges against candidates.
Senior Conservatives said the inquiry was a ‘politically-motivated witch-hunt’ after the discovery of Facebook postings by Louise Edwards, the Electoral Commission’s head of regulation, in which she said she did ‘not want to live under a Tory government’.
Prosecutors yesterday told up to 30 Conservative candidates and election agents that they would not face criminal action for failing to properly declare their use of so-called battle buses in 2015.
The allegations centred on claims that expenses relating to busloads of Tory activists sent to key seats were reported as part of national party costs rather than falling within the lower spending limits for the constituencies visited.
But yesterday the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that even though some spending returns may have been inaccurate, there was insufficient evidence to prove they were knowingly dishonest.
The announcement triggered an outpouring of anger from Tories who had been under suspicion.
There was particular fury over the role of Miss Edwards, with the Tories highlighting some of her posts on Facebook, written before she joined the commission.
After David Cameron was elected prime minister in May 2010. She wrote: ‘Just can’t understand what people were thinking – do they not remember the Tories before?’
She also posted about how she could ‘not believe’ she lived ‘under a Tory PM again! What is wrong with people? Grrr! Words have failed me.’
She added: ‘Louise Edwards doesn’t want to live under a Tory government’.
Although the posts predate her employment at the Electoral Commission, Karl McCartney, who is seeking re- election as MP for Lincoln, accused her of purposefully ‘smearing the reputations’ of Tory politicians, and called the commission ‘incompetent’.
‘This whole saga amounts to no more than a politically-motivated witch-hunt,’ he said.
‘I think Louise Edwards clearly was politically motivated – she should have been removed from her position a long time before now.
‘The senior management team who allowed her to get away with what she did should really need to take a long, hard look at themselves and examine their consciences. They are public servants, paid by the taxpayer.
‘The positions of the management – from the chief executive down to her sidekick Louise Edwards – are now untenable and I believe that they should resign forthwith.
‘If the leaders of the Electoral Commission do not take this most honourable course of action, I – and no doubt my colleagues who have been victims of the Electoral Commission’s witch-hunt – will take every opportunity after the general election to persuade the newly- elected government to abolish this incompetent organisation and ensure that those who comprise the Electoral Commission’s executive team and senior management group are never to play a role in our country’s public life again.’
The commission began an inquiry last year into Conservative expenses in the 2015 election, which led 15 police forces to inves- tigate possible breaches of electoral law. But yesterday the CPS announced it would not charge the majority of those involved. Two are still being investigated.
In March, the Tory Party was fined a record £70,000 by the Electoral Commission for ‘numerous failures’ in reporting its expenses for the 2015 general election and three by-elections in 2014.
Tory Party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin praised yesterday’s decision not to pursue criminal charges, adding: ‘These were politically motivated and unfounded complaints that have wasted police time.’ Last October, Labour was fined £20,000 for failing to properly declare spending from its 2015 general election campaign, including a stone tablet nicknamed the ‘Ed Stone’ and a battle bus called the ‘Labour Express’.
The Liberal Democrats were fined £20,000 in December for missing out more than £184,000 in payments from their general election spending declaration.
An Electoral Commission spokesman said its investigations team acted ‘with complete impartiality’, adding: ‘Extracts from one employee’s Facebook profile were taken five years prior to that employee joining the commission and did not impact on any investigation. The commission employs individuals from a wide-range of backgrounds. While employed at the commission they have to adhere to a strict code of conduct.’
The Tory who beat Nigel Farage to become an MP in 2015 could be charged over his election expenses within days – throwing the party’s election campaign into turmoil.
Even though up to 30 Tory candidates and agents were yesterday told they would not face criminal charges over spending ahead of the 2015 general election, the CPS said it was still considering action against Craig Mackinlay, who won South Thanet by 2,812 votes.
The Electoral Commission says a £15,641 hotel bill for supporters should have been included in his expenses, rather than the party’s national election spending.
Mr Mackinlay and the Tory Party dispute this.
Tory treasurer Simon Day is also still believed to be under investigation for his role in the party’s botched spending declarations.
‘She was clearly politically motivated’