Summary of findings
The Commission found that
There was no evidence that the Party’s spending return for the 2014 European Parliamentary election was incomplete
It is likely that expense returns delivered by Party candidates at three Parliamentary by-elections during 2014 understated the value of the Party’s spending on their campaigns
On three instances in 2014, relating to the said three Parliamentary by-elections, Mr Day as registered treasurer failed to ensure that the Party’s accounting records were sufficient to adequately show and explain the Party’s transactions with the candidates and/or their agents, as required by section 41 of PPERA
The Party’s 2015 UK Parliamentary General Election spending return was not a complete statement of its campaign spending payments, as required by section 80(3) of PPERA. Mr Day had included payments that were not Party campaign spending and omitted other Party campaign payments
The Party’s 2015 UK Parliamentary General Election spending return also failed to include all the required invoices and receipts associated with the Party’s campaign spending that were required by section 80(3) of PPERA. The Commission has also referred one matter relating to section 83(3) of PPERA to the Metropolitan Police Service. Section 83(3) required the Party’s treasurer to declare that he has examined the return and that to the best of his knowledge and belief, the return was complete and correct as required by law. A declaration to that effect was delivered alongside its spending return
The investigation established that the Party’s general election return was neither complete nor correct, and the evidence gathered during the course of the investigation has given the Commission reason to suspect that an offence may have been committed. Knowingly or recklessly making a false declaration under this section of the Act is a criminal offence and falls outside the remit of the Commission’s civil sanctioning powers. It will be a matter for the police as to what steps they take following the Commission’s referral
Not being charged ain't the same as not being guilty. Whether it was cock-up or fraud, it shows the Conservative Party to be either incompetent or criminal, OP. Which interpretation would you prefer?
Besides, your original point was a straw man. Nobody with any intelligence seriously thought it her the prime reason for calling an election. She's doing it in hope of decimating the Labour Party and, thus, being able to push through legislation and Brexit without opposition.
Much good it will do her. She's playing a poor hand badly and the people who voted for Brexit won't forgive her when prices and inflation start to rip. Similarly, her 'mandate' won't cut any ice with the EU. They'll simply point to their 'mandate' of 500+ million people.
Like you, she needs to be wiser and more careful about what she wishes for. Still, having said all that, I expect her grammar and punctuation is better than yours. A small mercy if she's drawing up future legislation...