TORY MP CHARGED

Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay charged over election expenses
Tory candidate for South Thanet among three charged after investigation into overspending in 2015 election campaign

Peter Walker Political correspondent
Craig Mackinlay
Three people including the Conservative candidate for South Thanet have been charged over allegations the party overspent in its campaign for the seat in the 2015 election.

The Crown Prosecution Service said there was sufficient evidence to charge three people, among them Craig Mackinlay, who was the MP from 2015 and is seeking re-election on 8 June.

Also charged are Nathan Gray, his election agent, and Marion Little, a party organiser, the CPS said.

Mackinlay will remain on the ballot for the election as nominations have closed and some postal votes will already have been submitted. The Conservative party said it was standing by Mackinlay and said the allegation was “unfounded”.

In 2015, Mackinlay secured a majority of just over 2,800 in South Thanet from Ukip’s then-leader, Nigel Farage, following a toughly fought campaign. Farage is not contesting the seat again, with a local councillor, Stuart Piper, representing Ukip.

Nick Vamos, the CPS’s head of special crime, said: “On 18 April we received a file of evidence from Kent police concerning allegations relating to Conservative party expenditure during the 2015 general election campaign.

“We then asked for additional inquiries to be made in advance of the 11 June statutory time limit by when any charges needed to be authorised. Those inquiries have now been completed and we have considered the evidence in accordance with the code for crown prosecutors.

“We have concluded there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to authorise charges against three people. Craig Mackinlay, 50, Nathan Gray, 28, and Marion Little, 62, have each been charged with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983 and are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 4 July 2017.”

Since criminal proceedings were active, Vamos added, saying it was important for people to not speculate or comment about the case, potentially prejudicing it.

The charges follow allegations of overspending by some Conservative candidates and their agents at the 2015 election.

Last month, the CPS announced that no criminal charges would be brought against more than 20 Conservative MPs over the national party’s failure to accurately declare expenditure on a battlebus tour at the last election.

The CPS said their constituency spending declarations “may have been inaccurate” but concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove dishonesty or bring a criminal case against the MPs and their agents.

At the time, the CPS said the one case outstanding was that related to Mackinlay, and that it would announce the decision soon. Mackinlay was interviewed under caution by police in March over the allegations.

Mackinlay faces two counts of having knowingly contravened the Representation of People Act over election expenses. Gray faces three charges over the same law in relation to his role as Mackinlay’s agent. Little faces five charges, two connected to aiding and abetting Mackinlay in his alleged wrongdoing, and three connnected to Gray.

The three could be tried at a crown court. The maximum sentence is one year in prison or a fine.

A Conservative party spokesman said: “The legal authorities have previously cleared Conservative candidates who faced numerous politically motivated and unfounded complaints over the party’s national Battlebus campaigning.

“We continue to believe that this remaining allegation is unfounded. Our candidate has made clear that there was no intention by him or his campaigners to engage in any inappropriate activity. We believe that they have done nothing wrong, and we are confident that this will be proven as the matter progresses.

“The individuals remain innocent unless otherwise proven guilty in a court of law. The press, parties and those on social media should be aware of the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act and the strict liability rules against publishing anything which would prejudice the course of justice.

“There is a broad consensus that election law is fragmented, confused and unclear, with two different sets of legislation, and poor guidance from the Electoral Commission. Conservatives are committed to strengthening electoral law to tackle the real and proven cases of corruption that were exposed in Tower Hamlets in 2015.”

To be fair I don't think much will come of this.They don't seem too worried either. Mischevious timing maybe but if this was a Labour candidate it would probably be a 4 pager on here.

The deluded righties would be having a field day!

To be fair I don't think much will come of this.They don't seem too worried either. Mischevious timing maybe but if this was a Labour candidate it would probably be a 4 pager on here.

in the interests of fairness ive posted to help you get your 4 pager.
you all seem to fall over yourselves with wild excuses and denials when it comes to getting the jeremy is a communist /terrorist sympathiser threads up to 4 pages . so fairs fair
anyway its all lies and you need to stop reading all that lefty press.

Are the IRA "terrorists" or "freedom fighters"? They killed my Uncle in Ardoyne, he was a RUC officer, but my cousins maintain that IRA are freedom fighters. Its too much of a complex situation. In Corbyn's defence, he helped by opening a dialogue.

The IRA and ISIS aren't similar at all.

Are the IRA "terrorists" or "freedom fighters"? They killed my Uncle in Ardoyne, he was a RUC officer, but my cousins maintain that IRA are freedom fighters. Its too much of a complex situation. In Corbyn's defence, he helped by opening a dialogue.

The IRA and ISIS aren't similar at all.

he had nothing to do with the peace process..even he doesnt claim he did.

killing RUC officers ...freedom fighters maybe.
blowing up a busy high street full of kids..nah.
but the point is ,right or wrong the IRA had a cause..and they are /were Irish. Corbyn was a sitting British MP.
didnt condemn the IRA for any of its bombs ,including the one aimed at killing OUR democratically elected government.

much the same as ISIS the IRA didnt mind who they killed.

Are the IRA "terrorists" or "freedom fighters"? They killed my Uncle in Ardoyne, he was a RUC officer, but my cousins maintain that IRA are freedom fighters. Its too much of a complex situation. In Corbyn's defence, he helped by opening a dialogue.

The IRA and ISIS aren't similar at all.

Tell the victims of IRA terrorists that it's OK because they were freedom fighters,absolute delusional nonsense and I would advise you to apologise to all those innocent victims of IRA Terrorism and stop being an apologist for terrorism

Are the IRA "terrorists" or "freedom fighters"? They killed my Uncle in Ardoyne, he was a RUC officer, but my cousins maintain that IRA are freedom fighters. Its too much of a complex situation. In Corbyn's defence, he helped by opening a dialogue.

The IRA and ISIS aren't similar at all.

he had nothing to do with the peace process..even he doesnt claim he did.

killing RUC officers ...freedom fighters maybe.
blowing up a busy high street full of kids..nah.
but the point is ,right or wrong the IRA had a cause..and they are /were Irish. Corbyn was a sitting British MP.
didnt condemn the IRA for any of its bombs ,including the one aimed at killing OUR democratically elected government.

much the same as ISIS the IRA didnt mind who they killed.

Is openly holding talks with the IRA and better than the years of Tory back door dealings with them though? Even the most recent stories of current Conservative party members show that they still have links to the IRA.

Why are the two so far apart in your mind?

Are the IRA "terrorists" or "freedom fighters"? They killed my Uncle in Ardoyne, he was a RUC officer, but my cousins maintain that IRA are freedom fighters. Its too much of a complex situation. In Corbyn's defence, he helped by opening a dialogue.

The IRA and ISIS aren't similar at all.

he had nothing to do with the peace process..even he doesnt claim he did.

killing RUC officers ...freedom fighters maybe.
blowing up a busy high street full of kids..nah.
but the point is ,right or wrong the IRA had a cause..and they are /were Irish. Corbyn was a sitting British MP.
didnt condemn the IRA for any of its bombs ,including the one aimed at killing OUR democratically elected government.

much the same as ISIS the IRA didnt mind who they killed.

Is openly holding talks with the IRA and better than the years of Tory back door dealings with them though? Even the most recent stories of current Conservative party members show that they still have links to the IRA.

Why are the two so far apart in your mind?

someone blows up your works xmas bash. one dead many injured. 3 weeks later while some are still in hospital a colleague of yours who sympathises { he/she would have to be a sympathiser to do this } with the bombers, brings to your workplace convicted members of the organisation that planted the bomb . nice chap or a total scumbag.
seriously what sort of person can do this..i couldnt...could you ?

This thread is about the tories overspending! Talk about the deluded right! Not even one silly rightie can even be bothered to talk about it on this board.

Typical righties

And of course we all should condemn what the IRA have done.

:lol:

This thread is about the tories overspending! Talk about the deluded right! Not even one silly rightie can even be bothered to talk about it on this board.

Typical righties

And of course we all should condemn what the IRA have done.

Has anyone been found guilty this time? At least the police and the BBC did'nt work together to actually film this major event in the way that they did for a well known personality not so long back. Has he been found guilty of anything yet? (other than making crappy films and songs)

:lol:

This thread is about the tories overspending! Talk about the deluded right! Not even one silly rightie can even be bothered to talk about it on this board.

Typical righties

And of course we all should condemn what the IRA have done.

was me that mentioned the IRA sympathiser.but the post itself was tongue in cheek.
imediately produced the normal excuses and denials that interestingly enough. labour mps then and now dont do. normal people have found his views and infact the man himself vile .

:lol:

This thread is about the tories overspending! Talk about the deluded right! Not even one silly rightie can even be bothered to talk about it on this board.

Typical righties

And of course we all should condemn what the IRA have done.

Has anyone been found guilty this time? At least the police and the BBC did'nt work together to actually film this major event in the way that they did for a well known personality not so long back. Has he been found guilty of anything yet? (other than making crappy films and songs)

Nobody has been found guilty that's true. But their is enough evidence in the public domain to show that the Tories were certainly bending the rules to gain an advantage in 2015. It would seem in this case someone was sloppy and left enough fingerprints so to speak lying around to allow the CPS to bring criminal charges.

:lol:

This thread is about the tories overspending! Talk about the deluded right! Not even one silly rightie can even be bothered to talk about it on this board.

Typical righties

And of course we all should condemn what the IRA have done.

Has anyone been found guilty this time? At least the police and the BBC did'nt work together to actually film this major event in the way that they did for a well known personality not so long back. Has he been found guilty of anything yet? (other than making crappy films and songs)

Nobody has been found guilty that's true. But their is enough evidence in the public domain to show that the Tories were certainly bending the rules to gain an advantage in 2015. It would seem in this case someone was sloppy and left enough fingerprints so to speak lying around to allow the CPS to bring criminal charges.

hmmm.
3 people that are tories does not implicate the party or other constituencies.
and from what ive read there is more than a little bit of confusion as to what the rules are.