Again, from former MP Adrian Sanders (Lib Dem) who is REALLY putting the boot in!
““A very interesting set of questions have emerged for local election candidates who stood for the Conservatives in Torbay last May.
In the Tory election expense declaration for the General Election there is an invoice for Battle bus canvass cards but the Tory Agent has split the amount that would have counted towards the winning MPs expense limit with the elected Mayor and Council campaigns.
I continue to suspect that as a loyal Conservative employee she simply followed the instructions from HQ on how to fill in the General Election expense returns.
But it has raised some questions for the 35 Conservative Council Candidates – many of them now Torbay Councillors.
If you were a Conservative Candidate last May in Torbay did the battle bus visit your ward? If the answer is no, why did you allow the Tory Agent to declare expenses on your return that should have been on Kevin Foster’s?
If the answer is yes, and were the accommodation, travel and other costs of the battle bus to be added to your declaration would you exceed the expense limit for your campaign?
I expect last year’s Conservative candidates will be wanting to check their expense returns at the earliest opportunity to see if the national party has potentially dumped on them as well as their Agent given if any allegations are proven it is the people who sign off the expenses, the Candidate and Agent, who are legally liable.”
Adrian Sanders, Facebook
East Devon Watch 