Vote Leave spending breach claims to be debated by MPs
1 min read
Allegations that the official Brexit campaign, Vote Leave, breached spending limits during the EU referendum will be debated by MPs today.
The claims emerged when former Vote Leave volunteer Shahmir Sanni accused senior campaign official, Stephen Parkinson, of flouting electoral spending rules to exceed the £7 million maximum.
Mr Sanni said the independent BeLeave campaign group had been used as a vehicle to inject a further £625,000 into the Vote Leave operation.
However, Mr Parkinson, who now works as a Number Ten aide, hit back in a statement denying the allegations, while also revealing that the pair had been in a relationship – a move Theresa May was forced to defend yesterday.
This follows claims by former Cambridge Analytica employee Christopher Wylie that the British data firm planted fake news to influence the result of the Brexit vote.
Lawyers for Mr Sanni and Mr Wylie yesterday published a 50-page legal document setting out their case that Vote Leave had broken electoral law.
It stated that the evidence “strongly” suggested that the BeLeave donation was actually used for Vote Leave activities.
Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake, who secured today’s debate on the issue, said the public must be reassured that elections were conducted in a way that was "free and fair".
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