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Your support makes all the difference.A cross-party group of 77 parliamentarians have written to the police demanding to know whether the Government has intervened to “soft-pedal” an investigation into the Vote Leave campaign over alleged law-breaking during the Brexit referendum.
The group includes MPs, MEPs, and peers from all the main parties in Parliament, including Dominic Grieve, the Conservative former attorney general who was David Cameron’s top legal advisor in the Cabinet.
The letter’s signatories say they “are not satisfied” with the response of law enforcement to the allegations and adds that they are “concerned” about reports that the investigation into Vote Leave has stalled.
“As elected representatives we carry a particular responsibility to defend both the rule of law and the integrity of our democratic system,” they write.
The letter is addressed to National Crime Agency Director of Intelligence, Steve Smart and Met Police commander of Specialist Crime, Stuart Cundy.
It asks the pair of chiefs whether they have been approached by “by government representatives to suggest that you soft-pedal this investigation due to political sensitivities”.
It also asks whether the law enforcement agencies consider there to have been evidence of law-breaking by the official Leave campaign, and whether an investigation is underway with a view to prosecution.
As elected representatives we carry a particular responsibility to defend both the rule of law and the integrity of our democratic system
Theresa May has publicly defended senior Conservative politicians who worked with the Vote Leave campaign, including some who were on its board and campaign committee.
The parliamentarians are most concerned about Vote Leave’s unlawful campaign spending. The organisation was fined £61,000 by the Electoral Commission for four breaches, including misreporting spending, overspending the £7m limit by more than £500,000 and filing a return that included 43 wrong items.
The overspending was partly a result of collusion between Vote Leave and another group, BeLeave, during the referendum campaign. VoteLeave was found to have channelled hundreds of thousand of pounds to BeLeave for a series of campaign adverts, helping it evade strict spending limits. Student Darren Grimes, who led the BeLeave group, has since been fined £20,000 over the matter and is facing a police investigation.
The MPs and peers also said the Leave.EU campaign, led by Nigel Farage and UKIP donor Arron Banks, should be investigated by police over numerous legal breaches, including spending “at least” 10 per cent more than permitted. The group was fined £70,000 for the offences.
The Electoral Commission had passed its findings to the police, who are considering whether criminal charges should be brought.
The letter was organised by Molly Scott Cato, a Green MEP. Dr Scott Cato said:
“Legal impunity for politicians is what we expect from a banana republic, not a modern democracy. With several cabinet ministers having been on the Vote Leave campaign committee, this is clearly a politically sensitive inquiry. But all the more important that it should be carried out urgently and with no hint of political bias.
“The voting public needs reassurance that those who break the law will face justice. But this is more than just prosecuting illegal activity, it is necessary to reassure citizens that nobody is above the law and that our legal framework protects our democracy.”
Labour Ben Bradshaw added: “Protecting our democracy and electoral system from illegal activity is a vital responsibility of our law enforcement agencies. It is extremely important that the police and the NCA take their duties seriously and do not allow the fear of political controversy or, worse still, political interference to deter them in that work.”
At the time of the Electoral Commission report’s release, a Vote Leave spokesman said: “The Electoral Commission's report contains a number of false accusations and incorrect assertions that are wholly inaccurate and do not stand up to scrutiny.
“It is astonishing that nobody from Vote Leave has been interviewed by the commission in the production of this report, nor indeed at any point in the past two years.
“Yet the commission has interviewed the so-called 'whistleblowers' who have no knowledge of how Vote Leave operated and whose credibility has been seriously called into question.”
They added: “Vote Leave has provided evidence to the Electoral Commission proving there was no wrongdoing. And yet despite clear evidence of wrongdoing by the Remain campaign, the commission has chosen to ignore this and refused to launch an investigation.”
The full list of signatories is printed below:
MPs
1. Rushanara Ali MP, Bethnal Green and Bow (Labour)
2. Tonia Antonniazzi MP, Gower (Labour)
3. Luciana Berger MP, Liverpool Wavertree (Labour coop)
4. Ben Bradshaw MP, Exeter (Labour)
5. Tom Brake MP, Carshalton and Wallington (Liberal Democrat)
6. Lyn Brown MP, West Ham (Labour)
7. Sir Vince Cable MP, Twickenham (Liberal Democrat)
8. Ruth Cadbury MP, Brentford and Isleworth (Labour)
9. Ann Coffey MP, Stockport (Labour)
10. Stella Creasy MP, Walthamstow (Labour)
11. Janet Daby MP, Lewisham east (Labour)
12. Sir Ed Davey MP, Kingston and Surbiton (Liberal Democrat)
13. Geraint Davies MP, Swansea West (Labour)
14. Martyn Day MP, Linlithgow and East Falkirk (SNP)
15. Stephen Doughty MP, Cardiff South and Penarth (Labour)
16. Rosie Duffield MP, Canterbury (Labour)
17. Maria Eagle MP, Garston and Halewood (Labour)
18. Jonathan Edwards MP, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Plaid Cymru)
19. Mike Gapes MP, Ilford South (Labour coop)
20. Kate Green MP, Stretford and Urstrom (Labour)
21. Lillian Greenwood MP, Nottingham South (Labour)
22. Helen Hayes MP, Dulwich and West Norwood (Labour)
23. Wera Hobhouse MP, Bath (Lib dem)
24. Margaret Hodge MP, Barking (Labour)
25. Rupa Huq MP, Ealing Central and Action (Labour)
26. Liz Kendall MP, Leicester West (Labour)
27. Peter Kyle MP, Hove (Labour)
28. Ben Lake MP, Ceredigion (Plaid Cymru)
29. David Lammy MP, Tottenham (Labour)
30. Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Pavilion (Green Party)
31. Catherine Mckinnell MP, Newcastle upon Tyne North (Labour)
32. Anna McMorrin MP, Cardiff North (Welsh Labour)
33. Madeleine Moon MP, Bridgend (Labour)
34. Brendan O’Hara MP, Argyll and Bute (SNP)
35. Layla Moran MP, Oxford West and Abingdon (Liberal Democrats)
36. Ian Murray MP, Edinburgh South (Labour)
37. Rachel Reeves MP, Leeds West (Labour)
38. Liz Saville Roberts MP, Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Plaid Cymru)
39. Andrew Slaughter MP, Hammersmith (Labour)
40. Owen Smith MP, Pontypridd (Labour)
41. Angela Smith MP, Sheffield (Labour)
42. Jamie Stone MP, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Liberal Democrat)
43. Anna Turley MP, Redcar (Labour coop)
44. Chuka Umunna MP, Streatham (Labour)
45. Catherine West MP, Hornsey and Wood Green (Labour)
46. Matt Western MP, Warwick and Leamington (Labour)
47. Philippa Whitford MP, Central Ayrshire (SNP)
48. Hywel Williams MP, Arfon (Plaid Cymru)
49. Paul Williams MP, Stockton South (Labour)
50. Phil Wilson MP, Sedgefield (Labour)
51. Daniel Zeichner MP, Cambridge (Labour)
51. Dominic Grieve MP, Beaconsfield (Conservative)
52. Carol Monaghan MP, Glasgow North West (SNP)
53. Jess Phillips MP, Birmingham Yardley (Labour)
Peers
1. Baron Andrew Adonis (Labour)
2. Baroness Ros Altmann (Conservative)
3. Lord Michael Cashman CBE (Labour)
4. Baroness Jenny Jones (Green Party)
5. Baroness Ann Ludford (Liberal Democrat)
6. Lord Richard Newby OBE PC (Liberal Democrat)
7. Lord William Wallace (Liberal Democrat)
8. Lord Dafydd Wigley (Plaid Cymru)
MEPs
1. Richard Ashworth MEP, Scotland (Independent)
2. Catherine Bearder MEP, South East England (Lib Dem)
3. Richard Corbett MEP, Yorkshire & Humber (Labour)
4. Seb Dance MEP, London Region (labour)
5. Jill Evans MEP, Wales (Plaid Cymru)
6. Julie Girling MEP, South West England (Independent)
7. Mary Honeyball MEP, London Region (Labour)
8. Jude Kirton-Darling MEP, North East England (Labour)
9. Jean Lambert MEP, London Region (Green Party)
10. Clare Moody MEP, South West (Labour)
11. Molly Scott Cato MEP, South West (Green Party)
12. Alyn Smith MEP, Scotland (SNP)
13. Catherine Stihler MEP, Scotland (Labour)
14. Charles Tannock MEP, London (Conservative)
15. Keith Taylor MEP, South East England (Green Party)
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