Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Nigel Farage Will avoid his investigation election expenses Police revealed that investigation could not be done.
it was claimed that reform uk Farage’s general election campaign in Clacton, Essex last year was heavily spent.
Claims handed to the Metropolitan Police, reportedly by former Reform councilor Richard Everett, allege the party has exceeded the spending limit in the Essex constituency by £20,660.
However, Essex Police confirmed that its assessment found the report was outside the one-year statutory time limit, meaning “no investigation could take place”.
in a statement to Guardian, Essex Police said: “We have assessed a report relating to an allegation of improper expenditure by a political candidate in relation to the general election in July 2024.”
The newspaper said the report was made on December 5.
The force said: “In view of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which states that any prosecution for such an offense must commence within one year, it has been concluded that this report falls outside the stated statutory time limit, and no investigation can take place.”
Reform had previously strongly denied breaking the law on election spending, and accused Mr Everett of being a “disgruntled former councillor” who had been expelled from the party “several months ago”.
According to previous reports daily telegraphMr Everett claims Reform failed to declare the expenditure on leaflets, banners, utility bills and a one-off refurbishment of its Clacton campaign office.
They allege that the party’s official returns report said it came just £400 under the spending limit set by electoral law, and that undeclared spending would have put it over the limit.
But he also said he thought Mr Farage himself was “blissfully ignorant”.
Labor Party chair Anna Turley previously said: “Nigel Farage needs to reassure the public that he and his party will co-operate fully with the police and put all necessary evidence on the table.
“Election fraud is a very serious crime that fundamentally undermines our democracy.
“All MPs, including party leaders, should play by the rules so that all candidates have a fair hearing with the public.
“Nigel Farage needs to break his silence on this issue and demonstrate that he and Reform UK have followed the law at all times. Failure to do so will raise even more questions about what they have to hide.”
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said on Thursday: “We have responded to correspondence from MP Anna Turley in which questions were raised about Reform UK’s spending in the 2024 general election.
“After careful consideration of the information presented in the letter, we did not identify any expenditure relating to Mr Farage’s election campaign in Clacton which should have been declared in Reform UK’s national expenditure.”
Mr Everett, who switched from Conservative to Reform last year, has left the party and now sits as an independent councillor.
A Reform spokesperson previously said: “These false claims come from a disgruntled former councillor. The party denies breaking electoral law. We are keen to clear our name.”