#ToryElectionFraud researcher: ‘Don’t let scandal be swept under the carpet’
ALLEGED TORY overspending in the 2015 General Election has almost vanished from public scrutiny – following Brexit and David Cameron’s resignation – but one dedicated researcher wants to make sure that the issue isn’t “swept under the carpet”.
Dominic Barratt has compiled a detailed archive of the live case of electoral fraud allegations against the Conservative party from the 2015 general election and related by-elections. The story was spread across the UK media last May and June as 12 police forces across England began investigating evidence of Tory electoral misconducts relating to 26 MPs.
As the Tory majority is just 12, the allegations raised questions over whether the Tories were legitimately elected. The SNP called for David Cameron to face police questioning over the cases. Now Barratt, concerned over the approaching May police investigations deadline, has spoken out to CommonSpace on the significance of the fraud case.
Election Commission meet police over Tory election fraud evidence
“What seems blindingly obvious from everything I’ve found so far is that the Conservatives have no authority. They appeared to have won the 2015 General Election with an incredibly slim 12 seat majority and, faced with virtually no unified opposition, have since been able to enact some of the most draconian, rightwing and anti-democratic legislation this union has ever seen,” he said.
“By continuing to engage with the Tories as though they are the legitimate power at Westminster we are all effectively white-washing the election expenses scandal from our collective memory.
“If just six MPs took it upon themselves to ‘cheat to win’ then the Conservatives don’t have a majority and pretty much everything that’s happened in the last two years does not represent the democratic will of the people.
“More seriously, and more likely, is that if the party ‘cheated to win’ then the whole basis of our democracy is at question and we’ve all been well and truly scammed. The various Police Authorities will reach their conclusions shortly. I want them to know that a great many of us are well informed, watching and waiting to see what they decide.
“My aim now is to keep finding and spreading the news, inform the public and keep them hungry for the results of the various Police Authorities deliberations. This can not be allowed to get quietly swept under the carpet.”
Judge rejects Tory attempts to shut down escalating electoral fraud enquiry
The Tory party admitted electoral expenses had been incorrectly submitted – but deny electoral fraud.
In court, the Electoral Commission said evidence in the case is “unprecedented” in its scale. The most recent reporting on the case was in December 2016 when Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez, a 2015 Tory election agent, faced police questioning.
In November, Prime Minister Theresa May’s chief of staff Nick Timothy was linked to the allegations of electoral fraud.
You can read a detailed history of the fraud cases on Dominic Barratt’s website.
Picture courtesy of @The45Storm
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