Police investigating the alleged false accounting of Conservative Party election expenses have been given more time to carry out their inquiries.
Chippenham magistrates have approved an application from Devon and Cornwall police to investigate four South West MPs, and their own boss – Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez, who had been a Tory general election agent in May last year.
The MPs include North Cornwall’s Scott Mann and Camborne and Redruth’s George Eustice. Election law says that any allegation relating to campaign expenses must normally be investigated within 12 months. But police did not receive any formal complaints until a few weeks ago, following national media coverage of the issue. Detectives now have a further year to decide what to do.
A police statement said: “Representatives from Devon and Cornwall Police have attended Chippenham Magistrates Court on Thursday 19th May. This was to seek an extension to allow further time to investigate allegations relating to improper electoral campaign spending returns in Devon and Cornwall, during the 2015 general election. These extensions have been granted and police investigations are now underway.”
As the Panel is made up of a majority of Conservative councillors they are unlikely to make her stand down during her investigation (which is what would happen to a police officer in a similar position).
A petition for her to stand down can be found here:
https://www.change.org/p/opcc-devonandcornwall-pnn-police-uk-alison-hernandez-police-and-crime-commissioner-for-devon-and-cornwall-should-stand-down/u/16706783
East Devon Watch 