Craig Mackinlay, Conservative candidate for Thanet South in the general election and a chartered accountant, has been formally charged this morning for offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Several Conservative MPs and agents have been investigated over expenses disclosures relating to the Tory “battle bus” that visited key marginal during the 2015 campaign. Mackinlay and his constituency colleagues are the only ones to have been charged.
Nick Vamos, head of special crime at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Kent Police had forwarded a file in April concerning allegations “relating to Conservative Party expenditure during the 2015 general election campaign”.
Having enquired further, the CPS concluded there was sufficient evidence, and public interest, to justify charges against Mackinlay, his election agent Nathan Gray and Tory activist Marion Little. The three are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 4 July 2017.
Mackinlay was already one of the most interesting of the 50+ accountants standing for Parliament as he defeated UKIP leader Nigel Farage in Thanet South in 2015 with a majority of 2,812.
The Conservative Party said the allegations against its Thanet South representatives are unfounded and all three are presumed to be innocent until their trial concludes. Mackinlay’s electoral prospects will certainly not benefit from the CPS announcement, but it is too late for the party to replace him.
Since criminal proceedings are now underway, the CPS emphasised that “no reporting, commentary or sharing of information” should take place online that could prejudice the case. To comply with this legal restriction, comments on this thread have been closed.
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