In a ludicrous statement, the Crown Prosecution Service argues that Conservative Party agents and candidates did not dishonestly submit false returns – because the Conservative Party told them it was legal.
That really is what the decision says. I quote:
“However, it is clear agents were told by Conservative Party headquarters that the costs were part of the national campaign and it would not be possible to prove any agent acted knowingly or dishonestly. Therefore we have concluded it is not in the public interest to charge anyone referred to us with this offence.”
So the Conservative Party broke electoral law, that is not in question and they have been fined for it by the Electoral Commission. But no individual may be prosecuted because Conservative Party HQ told them to do it? Their defence was that they are collectively all crooks, and this was accepted by the “independent” Crown Prosecution Service?
On top of which, the Crown Prosecution Service also colludes with the Tory Party by repeating the lie the Tories have assiduously spread that the allegations only related to the “Battlebus”. Of course for generations every Party Leader has campaigned from a “Battlebus”, singular, and the public are familiar with it. The Tory meme then goes everyone does that, why is it illegal?
In fact this was about something much bigger. Not one bus, but scores of buses, bussing activists and campaign directors in to marginal seats where they were also in paid for accommodation. The CPS statement refers to no allegations at all except a “Battlebus”, singular. By repeating this Tory lie in presenting the issue, the Crown Prosecution Service prove beyond any doubt that they are directly in collusion with the Tory Party.
” it would not be possible to prove any agent acted knowingly or dishonestly ”
i.e….any ‘ individual ‘ agent…
By omitting this word of clarification the CPS has made a nonsense of the English language.
“not … any… agents ” means ” no agents “, but this crime was committed collectively by the head office and we know where the buck stops there. It is absolutely plain that in commercial law the CEO at the time, i.e. the Prime MInister, David Cameron, is the person who should have been prosecuted for this crime.
That is why the CPS deemed it not in the public interest to prosecute. The prosecution is above their reach.
I may be wrong, but isn’t the chairman of the party the one who’d more likely take the rap? (was it grant shapps at the time? (who’s gone missing it seems))
The CEO might have the CFO in mind in his ‘ due diligence ‘ preparations to blame others for his own incompetence. Equally the CFO by keeping his accounts tidy can reply that all policy decisions policy are the CEO’s department, and therefore the buck stops at Cameron.
BBC Tory News doesn’t mention electoral fraud in the headlines of the news at 6…
Incredible.
Stu.
Maybe it’s “notional fraud” you know as in how the BBC calculated the SNP votes in the council elections using “notional figures.”
Notional means theoretical, a suggestion a estimate, not existing in reality.
The elite rig elections and they won’t be satisfied with control of the press so I believe they’ll rig the General Election in swing seats. There are claims in France many ballot papers for Le Pen were sent out pre-spoiled with a tear in them (none torn for Macron it is claimed), so non-Tory voters should look out for pre-damaged ballot papers torn or marked so they can be discounted if not a vote for Tory.
Meanwhile Israel has shut down its state broadcasting tv news channel. Mabat LaHadashot which pumped out propaganda for 49 years, it will be replaced by a smaller, but just as effective news channel.
If only we could shut down the largest state propaganda machine in the world the BBC, now isn’t that a lovely thought. ?
… largest international state propaganda machine… creating mayhem for 100s of years by enticing proxy armies to fight their colonial wars for them, and using the arty farty side of the network to mask the smell of their own vomit.
Now they’ve turned their attention to bigging up the Tories, whilst demonising every other party, including the odious Ukip.
Andrew Neil said to Paul Nuttal today on the politics shows, whats the point of Ukip existing anymore, we’re leaving the EU and your voters are all moving over to the Tories.
Jeremy Corbyn appears to have a secret packet of popcorn to nibble from the back seat of the darkened auditorium. Why is it down to Craig Murray to raise these objections to Tory electoral fraud?
Instead of repeating his mantra of a rigged system, why doesn’t he make the specific accusation against the former Prime Minister, of breaking the law? Oh , because the New Labour platform is an elephant trap consisting of a pit 200 cubic meters of historical pig slurry, made from Brown’s failure to regulate the bankers, and Blair’s illegal invasion of Iraq, covered by a thin layer of Straw.
One word of opposition and the audience would stop looking at the film and twist their heads to look at him.
Both sides in this election are so deeply compromised by their party’s slavish obedience to the Zionist bankster war criminals who have wrecked Muslim countries for the last 30 years, they both want to tiptoe to June 8th like Jerry tiptoeing past a sleeping Jerry, or Jerry tiptoeing past a snoring Tom trying not to wake eachother up.
Giyane. You have a very good way of expressing things. You get it.
“to the Zionist bankster war criminals”
Yuk
Some knighthoods, committee chairs and maybe even a nice seat on a red leather bench…?
Munguin looks as if he’s been out campaigning.
Is that Munguin? He looks very shy today hiding behind that SNP rosette.
So it looks like the Tories will use Scottish fishing waters as a huge bargaining chip in the up and coming Brexit negotiations. Ironically Scottish fishermen are keen to leave the EU, because they’re under the impression that Westminster will give them a clear run to fish Scottish waters, without most of those pesky EU fishermen snapping up fish from Scottish waters.
However, those fishermen, must’ve gotten some salt water on their brains to believe that Westminster actually gives a shit about them. Add in that the same fishermen have also conveniently forgotten that much of their catch goes to EU nations.
Factor in that tariffs and trade barriers could see fresh seafood products held up in warehouses, before they reach there EU destinations, and that’s if the EU nations still want their products after Brexit, and you have, a group of very delusional fishermen indeed.
I’d also say those living in rural areas and those in the farming industry, should vote SNP, in the hope that independence is gained and that we remain in the EU.
For its very unlikely that this Tory government will meet the same kind of funding that the EU provides to Scottish farmers and rural communities, a vote for anyone one else is a vote to receive less or no funding whatsoever.
Sure it has, and it also assured us that the only way to remain in the EU was to vote no, jeez some people believe any shit.
Tory MSP Douglas Ross who is standing against Angus Robertson in Moray in the GE has said he will continue as a professional football referee if elected to Westminster.
Ross, who as well as being an SFA whistler is also a FIFA assistant referee, has caused controversy since being elected a List MSP last year. He missed an important vote and another time missed a committee meeting at Holyrood because of football commitments in Europe. At least there’s one Tory who wants to stay in Europe!
Now he wants to represent Moray at Westminster and still officiate at football. But referees don’t just go to matches on a Saturday. They have to turn up for fitness training sessions more than once a week. There are regular seminars they have to attend. The travelling to matches. And in Ross’s case he often runs the line in the Champions League or Europa League abroad.
It is bad enough him doing all that when he is at Holyrood and a List MSP who doesn’t have a constituency. Now he wants to travel to London to be an MP and look after the interests of Moray, train for the football, travel to the football including to Europe, as well as do the constituency work in one of the largest rural seats in Scotland.
Do Tories now think they can just do whatever they like?
Reel guid, it would be very confusing when fans sing, “who’s the bastard in the commons….!” ?
LOL!
Green’s won’t stand in Ian Murray’s seat, it would be nice to see Murray and his Union Jack suit, taken to the cleaners by the SNP. ?
Think Murray’s just got the jaiket Ros. It’s Tomkins who has the union jack suit.
So mature these unionist politicos.
Yeah I’ve read about that one in the press on a few occasions. What does it say about what he thinks about his constituents that he’ll swan off to officiate at a footy match among other financial interests. Only die-hard unionists (or as I like to call them the walking dead) will vote for that no gooder.
Don’t think Alex has to go down the gym regularly to be a racing tipster.
I expect Douglas will make use of the House of Commons gym between debates.
http://www.jubileehalltrust.org/westminster-gym/
The Metropolitan Tories really would refer to him as the Sweaty in that case.
He ain’t going to be there anyway.
No surprise there then! I have said since the matter was raised that nothing would come of it. It’s par for the course in this corrupt broken cesspit of a democracy that we live in and if Scots don’t vote to get out of it soon then they never will. It’s very depressing!
The scots will never get out, the SNP have been allowed to get this far because it has broken the Labour Party in Scotland, in effect destroying any progressive opposition. As long as the Tories have the Scots thinking that they’re going to get out of the union any time now they know that labour will remain crippled. I would be surprised if this situation remains for the next 50 years.
So the tories illegally bought the election, but no crime has been committed? And now they are buying the next one. Isn’t it great to live in a democracy.
It would be great, do you know where to find one?
Craig Murray couldn’t have made it any clearer. If anyone can improve or enlarge on the simple truth and detailed stated facts by all means try.
41 UK foreign policies to forget about in the UK election
Our special relationship with Saudi Arabia
Our war in Yemen
Our seven covert wars (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia)
Our role as a massive arms exporter, to anyone who wants them
Our increased military training programme to repressive states
Our two new aircraft carriers, built while a million people use food banks
Our £178 billion military requipment programme
Our raising of the ‘Russian threat’ for domestic/foreign political/military purposes
Our role in maintaining the world’s tax havens
Our ongoing dispossession of the Chagos Islanders
Our special relationship with Trump
Our deepened relations with repressive Gulf states such as Bahrain and Oman
Our new special relationship with the military rulers of Egypt
Our de facto support for Israel’s illegal settlement building and blockade of Gaza
Our failure to recognise a Palestinian state
Our deepened relations with human rights abusers such as Turkey and Uzbekistan
Our Navy’s stated ambition to patrol the world militarily to protect the UK’s ‘growing global economic ambition’
Our enhancement of nuclear weapons
Our government’s stated willingness to use nuclear weapons in a first strike
Our ongoing military relationship with Pakistan, a major sponsor of terrorism
Our secret drone wars
Our plans to support mining in the Arctic
Our role in promoting mining companies like Shell and Rio Tinto
Our mining companies’ role in controlling Africa’s natural resources
Our promotion of the privatisation of health and education in developing countries
Our opposition to a Financial Transactions Tax
Our aiding to forced relocations in Ethiopia
Our refusing to support binding legal regulation for corporations’ activities overseas
Our role in acquiescing in corporate tax abuses and evasion across the developing world
Our contribution to massive greenhouse gas emissions from backing coal and oil/gas projects across the developing world
Our refusal to adequately clamp down on private security companies
Our championing of financial secrecy in overseas territories like the British Virgin Islands
Our role in championing corporate agriculture and land grabs in Africa
Our opposition to agro-ecological farming in developing countries
Our support for UK Big Accountancy companies fleecing Africa
Our use of aid as a tool for supporting big business and foreign policy
Our support for neo-liberal economic policies across the developing world
Our support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
Our ignoring of international law and belief we can use military force where/when we want
Our support for opposition groups in Syria, prolonging the war
Our outright opposition to base foreign policy on ethics, human rights, development and peace
http://markcurtis.info/2017/05/01/41-uk-foreign-policies-to-forget-about-in-the-uk-election/
War with Pakistan? Come on, you’ve lost all credibility.
Really? Oh, okay. Wanna share some of yours?
Alcyone
Where does Mark Curtis mention a war with Pakistan?
The USUKIS drone strategy is to eliminate any Muslim in Pakistan who opposes the UK version of Islam, spread by Saudi Arabia, Usama bin Laden and the Muslim Brotherhood, that the Muslims should make takfir of and fight against other Muslims who are outside their particular political confederacy with USUKIS. By arming the terrorists and murdering the peace-makers USUKIS would like to change the religion to a violent , un-thinking, unreasonable deviation.
What they don’t get, and what you are paid to deliberately conceal, is that the religion of Islam is built into the hearts of all human beings. Therefore the more USUKIS tries to create terror by torturing people and murdering them, the more Islam will rise as a priority for Muslims. They’d be much better giving them production lines and job opportunities if they wanted to make them forget their religion.
Meanwhile Gladio 2.0 is very much alive and well.
1. Kill prominent politicians.
2. Blame it on the refugees.
I’m pretty sure we’ve seen this type if thing before. Of course on this occasion it’s been written of as some sort of neonazi plot, how very convenient.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39859058
Why are they all wearing floppy scout caps?
Having been on this earth for all of 73 yrs, I have never disappeared as much as I do now about the level of corruption across this globe. Some in Great Britain (that’s a joke) think they are so much superior to other countries. We will be put in our place after Brexit will that be top of the rubbish heap?
Ignorance of the Law is now a valid defense according to the #CPS – Remember that when you get a speeding ticket and you didn’t know what the speed limit was ! …..
Now this is surely a sign that Rape Clause Ruth Davidson, is one twisted b*stard.
She knows fine well that the HO, have been kicking out by hook or by crook, immigrants who’ve come to Scotland to live work and make a life for decades.
Those immigrants have spent thousands setting up their businesses which have in turn employed local people and added greatly to their communities. Those same people have then been cruelly ejected by the the Highland Clearance brigade at Whitehall.
In my opinion Davidson is a nasty piece of work.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2017-39839907?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5912c38de4b05b6937f5ff81%26Ruth%20Davidson:%20Scotland%20needs%20to%20attract%20more%20migrants%26&ns_fee=0#post_5912c38de4b05b6937f5ff81
RoS, the following covers Ruth’s ramblings, highlighting her off the cuff comments were nonsense.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/slicing-the-shrinking-pie/
There used to be a common law offence of incitement, which is now abolished for acts post 2008, but the Serious Crime Act, which abolished incitement introduced statutory offences of assisting and encouraging. I do not know whether they might apply here, but I would infer not because no doubt CPS will have considered such possibilities and ruled them out (part 2 of the Act Sections 45-46).
Craig, When will you get it into your thick head that this country is run by and for the wealthy and the privileged and they don’t care what you and people like you think?
They write the laws, they appoint the prosecutors and judges, they stage the elections and they make damn well sure that the system of power cannot be undermined by oiks like you (the idea that they would countenance Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister or Scotland seceding from the UK is simply laughable).
What do you think BBC News is for anyway?
British general elections are a cruel farce. The system is so rigged and so unfair – and so impervious to fundamental reform –that surely the only rational response is a refusal to participate in their hollow pantomime?
O/T but anyway re Comey sacking check out Mike Bloomberg’s piece on his own media “After Comey, Justice Must be Served”. It’s worth reading on it’s own but also read alongside an earlier Bloomberg piece in which ask their client base what do you think about this Comey malarkey and the bankers moan it’s a mistake, but their concerns are simply that Trump will lose what little momentum he has and tax cuts will be delayed. So it’s nice to see Bloomberg himself cut to the chase and override these petty concerns and refocus attention on just how shocking Trump’s actions are. Hold onto that outrage.
Craig Murray on the ball as usual. It is scandalous that the CPS has gone along with this charade. Are they not answerable to anyone? Does the buck stop with them? Deeply worrying if that is the case.
IN order for a prosecution to stick it would be necessary for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt the agents had acted knowingly or dishonestly in excluding the expenses concerned from their local election returns – that is the law and just because the agents are Tories that is not an argument for requiring a lower level of proof before finding someone guilty of a criminal offence.
If the agents were advised by CCHQ that the expenses concerned could be included on the national returns and did not need to be included on the local returns I suspect it would be very difficult to prove that the agents had acted knowingly or dishonestly so really I don’t think the CPS could have come to any other decision. It is worth noting that there is still one constituency where this may not be the case – and my guess is that it really doesn’t take the CPS so long to see if the police evidence is sufficient to add up to a defence of not having acted knowingly or dishonestly – and my guess is they are asking more questions (via the Police) before reaching a conclusion
The person who I think may well be on the hook is the former Conservative Party Treasurer, Simon Day, who signed the national return, which the Electoral Commission has already found to be legally at fault and has levied a fine on CCHQ as a result. Under PPERA the Electoral Commission is required to pass prosecutions of individuals for this offence to the Police – and this investigation is now with the Metropolitan Police so that they can make the decision (with the CPS) whether to prosecute (that is what the law PPERA 2000 actually says). If I were Corbyn I would be pushing for that investigation to be completed very quickly – particularly since my guess is that Mr Day will have some problems with his defence given that the Party whose returns he signs has already been found responsible by the Electoral Commission.
Resident Dissident
May 10, 2017 at 21:36
” IN order for a prosecution to stick it would be necessary for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt the agents had acted knowingly or dishonestly in excluding the expenses concerned from their local election returns ”
Just repeating the CPS bollocks doesn’t make it correct. The agents are nothing to do with this case. The order came down from Tory HQ that Central Tory funds were going be used to help out individual constituencies , against the well-known laws of election expenses.
The CEO, Veterinary Dentist and retired war-criminal in the war on Islam, David Cameron has left an important political legacy. The UK government can despatch ground forces to operate anywhere in the world and lie to Parliament, can break the rules of Democracy itself and ” it wouldn’t be in the public interest to blame anyone for doing it.
This level of criminality by senior politicians, started by Thatcher and continued by Blair, breaks the ‘ social contract ‘ by which we obey the law because the government is also obeying the law.
That’s fine. We will no longer keep our side of the social contract. We will spy on and expose every individual MP and public servant in the same manner that government spies on us and permits corporations to spy on us. Sports Direct gone mad. People power.
For a start, the student accommodation building in central Birmingham where I am currently working , an HMO, housing in multiple occupation, consisting of 500 student bedsits was exempted during construction by the local Council from complying with the Part P Building Regulations for Electrical work in flats and dwellings because they wanted to attract student accommodation to the city centre in order to fill their bars and shops with attractive young people.
If Government wants to break or subvert the law, I’m sure we can find ways of making government feel uncomfortable.
“Just repeating the CPS bollocks doesn’t make it correct.”
I wasn’t I went and looked at the actual law – and it is there as well if you bother to look. I appreciate that you favour prosecuting authorities that don’t need to bother with such niceties.
whitewash,expected from these liars and thives.
I am currently sitting on a tube train, and the Evening Standard headline announces that the Tories are “CLEARED” [sic]. There’s George Osborne’s journalistic standards for you….
Public interest demands these matters be prosecuted and t be tested in court.
hat they
The decision not to prosecute is testable by Judicial Review.
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/appeals_judicial_review_of_prosecution_decisions/
It needs someone to bring a case, crowd-funded if need be.
I think that May’s lead is being whittled away by one thing or another, including this. If the Tory lead in the local elections were transposed into GE results, the lead would be 48, not that much more than what they have today. Personally, I think we’re looking at a small Tory majority, not the massive wipe-out we’re supposed to expect.
Yes Laguerre – and this latest scandal has surely got to be a Tory own goal. The smell of coffee, or something more rank that’s pervading the country now should be waking up even the sleepiest of consumers of Strictly Come Cookin’, Fookin’ and Shoppin’.
So who, in Conservative Central Office, told agents that the “Battle Buses” costs were part of the national campaign. Surely this makes the Conservative Chairman responsible for fraudulent behaviour by his party. I notice he is threatening anybody, like me, who continues to question their obvious lack of honesty Well FUCK YOU MR McLOUGHLIN. The Electoral Commission found your party guilty of gross ineptitude bordering on criminal behaviour and would have fined you more money if it had the power.
We are not stupid. You are guilty of evasive, inept, duplicitous behaviour which just about sums up the Conningselservative ethos. Again FUCK YOU YOU BASTARDS!
Legally it is the Party’s official Treasurer at the time, Mr Simon Day, who is responsible for such matters – as explained above the Electoral Commission has to pass the offences involving the prosecution of individuals to the Police for them to investigate.
He’s a knight of the realm these days. A bit of a thug having moved on from being chief whip 2010-2012 (they have all he dirt on their fellow MPs! – useful that) and has been throwing his considerable physical weight around lately.
Tory chairman Patrick McLoughlin swats reporter’s phone | Daily Mail …
http://www.dailymail.co.uk › article-4320458
16 Mar 2017 – Patrick McLoughlin was walking outside Parliament when he was approached by Sky News’ Darren McCaffrey who asked questions about today’s Electoral Commission report.
Conservative Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin pushes camera away when asked about election expenses scandal | The …
http://www.independent.co.uk › … › UK Politics
17 Mar 2017 – The Chairman of the Conservative Party has pushed away a television camera after being asked about the election expenses scandal that saw his party fined £70000. Patrick McLoughlin MP …
A little rattled perhaps?
Lets prosecute the guy anyway even though he wasn’t Chairman of the Tories when the offences were committed. Is this what you call socialist justice.
Not a peep from Cameron apparently, now lurking in his £25k shepherd’s hut.
Nor from Gideon, just this very pat production in his new organ.
Conservative election expenses: Tories cleared by CPS after probe into election spending
MARTIN BENTHAM 7 hours ago
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/conservative-election-expenses-cps-confirms-no-criminal-charges-bought-over-tory-election-spending-a3535046.html
If an MP made a “mistake” on their expenses it’s ok but if the ordinary plublic worker did the same on benefits or HMRC they’d get the full force of law against them. I wonder why that is? This is the dam Tories a no law for them -yet one for us disgusting.
I could go into one about everything, but instead will just say that at this juncture in history it’s incredibly important that all sides of the political divide come together, to defeat a common enemy. Don’t let them get away with the old ‘divide and rule’ stuff.
Some may have seen this YouTube vid last year, but I’ll repeat it again for those who haven’t seen it…
Trevor Moore – Time For Guillotines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exnaY0l4XsM
With everything that’s happened with The Donald and now Macron in France, this video is now more pertinent than ever.
But I doubt if it will be allowed on this board, because of course you live in ‘freedom and democracy’.
The poor do time, the rich go free.