The Conversation (0)
x
Greg Evans
1554035400
The official Vote Leave campaign, led by Boris Johnson during the 2016 EU referendum, has dropped its appeal against a £61,000 fine for breaking the law on electoral spending.
The group were fined in July 2018, after the electoral watchdog concluded that by donating hundreds of thousands of pounds to a pro-Brexit youth group, BeLeave, that they broke legal spending limits.
Vote Leave had initially appealed against this after claiming that their donation had been signed off by the commission but on Friday they released a statement declaring that they had dropped the appeal.
The statement which was released through the Daily Mirrorsaid:
For almost three years, Vote Leave has successfully fought back against numerous allegations and conspiracy theories, spending almost £1m in the process.
Since July 2018, we have been preparing our appeal against the Electoral Commission’s unwarranted and unsubstantiated finding and fines.
Sadly, we now find ourselves in a position that we do not have the financial resources to carry forward this appeal, even though we are confident that we would have prevailed on the facts in court.
We have therefore regretfully decided to discontinue our appeal.
With Vote Leave retracting their appeal, many people have very quick to share this information and ask what this means for Brexit now?
It's hard to look at the timing of Vote Leave's capitulation on the electoral law appeal without wondering whether… https://t.co/kS8xeqU4Ge— James Oh Brien (@James Oh Brien) 1553954986
So vote leave, headed up by @michaelgove and @GiselaStuart along with @BorisJohnson has admitted it broke electoral… https://t.co/0SB9oCWwRj— Jay Rayner (@Jay Rayner) 1553956149
Vote Leave broke electoral law during the 2016 referendum. They want this news to be buried. Do not let them get aw… https://t.co/fWGtRs3osf— David Lammy (@David Lammy) 1554022838
It is now incumbent on the government to act. We have heard minister after minister say the referendum is valid. Th… https://t.co/Y1Tlwp7mQX— Layla Moran 🔶 (@Layla Moran 🔶) 1553976626
Any journalist managed (or bothered) to find @BorisJohnson or @michaelgove for their reaction to their Vote Leave c… https://t.co/AweyoH2pYK— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@ALASTAIR CAMPBELL) 1553980112
Vote Leave yesterday accepted that it engaged in major breaches of electoral law in the last referendum Those resp… https://t.co/yQoO2ovP2z— Andrew Adonis (@Andrew Adonis) 1553930817
We cannot and must not allow either of these men - who have such scant regard for the law - become Prime Minister. https://t.co/WBrPpxhQE6— Tim Walker (@Tim Walker) 1553977807
Once again: Vote Leave broke the law. They have finally admitted they had no defence. Thier unlawful behaviour unde… https://t.co/6cXKFc630E— Christopher Wylie 🏳️🌈 (@Christopher Wylie 🏳️🌈) 1553892976
This is insane. This is a plea to the politicians & TV chatterati - please listen to @shahmiruk. Please talk about… https://t.co/omQO8DV9Pk— Carole Cadwalladr (@Carole Cadwalladr) 1553953027
This Boris Johnson tweet from March 2018 is also coming back to haunt him.
Observer/C4 story utterly ludicrous, #VoteLeave won fair & square - and legally. We are leaving the EU in a year an… https://t.co/KDGAcOqYDN— Boris Johnson (@Boris Johnson) 1521931159
And I’m sure the man who seeks to be your Prime Minister will acknowledge that this statement is untrue. Vote Leave… https://t.co/CoDEO5sauk— Tom Watson (@Tom Watson) 1553944169
March 2018: Observer reports Vote Leave broke law by coordinating campaigns and overspending. ‘LIES!’ July 2018: E… https://t.co/5jSHoSC6Bj— Sarah Donaldson (@Sarah Donaldson) 1553934228
I could not dig: I dared not rob: Therefore I lied to please the mob. Now all my lies are proved untrue And I must… https://t.co/q3mihxsKEZ— Steve Peers (@Steve Peers) 1553946029
You are a liar not fit for any role in public service. This is what UK thinks about #Brexit chaos, 6 million have s… https://t.co/eeM0O9ErjB— Rebecca CEV #FBPE #Remain #Rejoin #NHS (@Rebecca CEV #FBPE #Remain #Rejoin #NHS) 1554030126
Gisela Stuart, the Labour MP and Chair for Vote Leave, tried to defend the campaign on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning by admitting that they destroyed all their data which didn't exactly make people empathise with her.
Extraordinary response from Gisela Stuart to the fact Vote Leave broke the law and why they couldn’t prove their in… https://t.co/AN0SlICiWe— Alex Andreou (@Alex Andreou) 1554024365
"We can't prove we're innocent because we destroyed all our data" - Gisela Stuart, Chair of Vote Leave And if you… https://t.co/m2x0h9A1H3— Graham Lithgow (@Graham Lithgow) 1554024737
UNBELIEVABLE! Gisela Stuart defiant after Vote Leave found guilty of breaking electoral law, laughed out of court f… https://t.co/oMJLvdkhii— Brexitshambles (@Brexitshambles) 1554025608
Remember, kids, it's fine to commit a crime as long as you've destroyed all the evidence. Top tip from Vote Leave'… https://t.co/1Kcz2rHt4K— David Schneider (@David Schneider) 1554031393
Keep reading...Show less