Tory whistleblowers accuse Conservatives of 'huge betrayal' of electorate over expenses

[Denzil_DC]

10. Yup. Cat, meet pigeons ...

General election: Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay to stand in South Thanet despite expenses charge

Craig Mackinlay will remain a Conservative candidate in the general election despite being charged as part of an electoral fraud investigation.

The Conservative politician argued his push to become the MP in South Thanet would be "unaffected" after the Crown Prosecution Service said there was enough evidence to bring charges relating to his 2015 election expenses.

The Independent understands Theresa May is backing Mr Mackinlay's position. In a statement however, the Tory candidate went further, attacking the CPS and Kent Police for their handling of the case and questioning why the decision had come just days before the June 8 election.

...

In Mr Mackinlay's case, the focus of the investigation is believed to have centred on whether stays for party workers at the Royal Harbour Hotel in Ramsgate and the Premier Inn in Margate were wrongly attributed to national party expenditure, rather than a local expense.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-latest-craig-mackinlay-conservative-candidate-south-thanet-stand-despite-expenses-a7768961.html

Tory Treasurer in 2015 Simon Day is also still under investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

At the very least, this will stir up unhappy memories and resentment among the remaining UKIP faithful.

The UK's punitive contempt of court laws mean that pundits and others (in theory, including us ...) will be constrained in what they can say about the Mackinlay case before it gets to court - presumed innocent etc. etc.