CHANNEL 4 election expenses revelations

To say that Medway Liberal Democrats are shocked by the Channel 4 revelations and claims of wrong doing by the Conservative party in the 2014 Rochester & Strood by-election would be an understatement.

Medway Liberal Democrats welcome the fact that an Election Agent has already referred this to the Kent police but some within the local party believe at the same time that this should be an issue for the Returning Officer and the Electoral Commission to look into.

If there is any hint of truth in these claims then we will be deemed to have a subsequently elected Local MP and Local Councillor, as well as the Agent, effectively guilty of falsification of the very worst sort, i.e. election fraud!

I sincerely hope that Channel 4 has made a slip and got this one wrong because otherwise, it potentially brings yet again all politicians into disrepute, honest ones as well as those concerned with self-interest and questionable behaviour.

Electoral fraud is a very serious criminal offence and can be met with punitive action by the courts, including prison. Candidates and their Agents receive very detailed and intensive training on Election Returns which is updated on a regular basis. The suggestion (and at this stage, it is just that) that almost £57,000 of expenditure appears not to have been declared at all and had it been declared, the local Tories would have overspent by a very substantial £53,000 is extremely worrying.

Medway Liberal Democrats intended to refer the matter to the Medway Returning Officer and the Electoral Commission for review but it would seem that these bodies have little interest in getting involved, rather leaving it for the police to investigate instead.

Watch this space for possible future developments.