MP faces probe over expenses

David O'Leary • Published 19 Jul 2010 09:30 1 Comment

TWEEDDALE MP David Mundell is to face a criminal inquiry relating to a potential error in his election expenses.

The investigation relates to a £681 advert placed in this paper the Peeblesshire News which was wrongly declared as being spent within the wrong election period.

If the sum had been declared within the correct period then Mr Mundell's spending would have been tipped over the legal limit by £466.

Election spending is split into two parts. The first part, known as the long period, ran from January 1 until parliament's dissolution on April 12.

Mr Mundell spent £29,148 out of the maximum £29,664 allowed in this period.

In the subsequent second short period, from April 13 until polling day on May 6, he spent another £11,599 out of a maximum £11,814.

The potential criminal error arises on April 30, when Mundell, who has been Scotland's sole Tory MP since 2005, ran a half-page "Re-elect Mundell" advert but the cost was counted towards the earlier, long campaign spending period.

Breaking the limit is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of £5,000 or even a jail sentence of up to a year.

Although the returns were compiled by Mundell's election agent, Joe Dawson, the MP signed a declaration stating they were "complete and accurate" to the best of his knowledge.

Mr Mundell said: "I am very sorry that a mistake has been made in the completion of my election expense forms. This is solely due to human error and not any attempt to mislead.

"Such mistakes are not uncommon in election returns and there are established procedures for dealing with them. Obviously, as soon as it was drawn to my attention, I informed the Electoral Commission who have an interest in such matters."

The error was uncovered last week following a complaint from a Labour Party member upon which Mr Mundell immediately referred himself to the Electoral Commission.

As the Tories sole MP in Scotland since 2005, Mr Mundell was under great pressure to retain his Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale seat which he eventually did with an increased majority of 4,194 ahead of Labour's representative, Claudia Beamish.

Dumfries and Galloway Police have now been asked to carry out a criminal inquiry and Mr Mundell has been urged by Labour to stand down from his post of Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland until the investigation is complete.

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 16 Jul 10

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  jail-him
  Unregistered User
  Jul 19, 17:25
  Report comment

  another thief only in it to line his own pockets this will be brushed under the carpet and forgotten about. anyone else would be brought before the courts and delt with
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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