Political reporter(wp/es):
The “Ed Stone” — the defining image of Ed Miliband’s disastrous election campaign — has helped land Labour with the largest fine ever handed out by the Electoral Commission.
The then-Labour leader unveiled the 8ft 6in stone plinth carved with election promises in the run up to the 2015 general election, promising it would stand in Downing Street’s garden if the party won.
However, the stunt was ridiculed and became an emblem for Mr Miliband’s failed campaign.
Today the election watchdog issued the Labour party with a £20,000 fine, with a lengthy investigation finding a catalogue of undeclared election payments including two missing returns for the stone tablet.
Bob Posner, director of party and election finance at the Electoral Commission, said it was vital for well-established parties to “comply with the rules” and report their finances correctly.
Labour’s election spending was first investigated in January this year when it emerged that two payments worth £7,614 for the “Ed Stone” were missing from the party’s campaign spending return.
Labour’s own review found that there were also 24 items of expenditure worth £109,777 missing from the return.
The Electoral Commission then found further missing payments, including 49 payments relating to costs associated with the Labour Express battle bus tour which ferried activists to constituencies to campaign, and the Labour Students tour worth £11,357.
Altogether the watchdog found Labour had missed 74 payments totalling £123,748, as well as 33 separate invoices totalling £34,392.
Labour treasurer Iain McNicol was found to have committed two civil offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) and does not face criminal proceedings.
A Labour Party spokesman said: “Labour has co-operated fully with the Electoral Commission during its investigation into General Election 2015 campaign spending by political parties.
“The Commission’s investigation found that internal procedural errors led to a relatively small number of items of expenditure not being declared properly. The party regrets these administrative errors. However, these amounted to just over one per cent of our total spending of over £12 million during this election.
“We accept the findings of the report and have already tightened our internal recording procedures to address the Commission’s concerns.”
The limestone slab was broken up shortly after the general election.
The “Ed Stone” — the defining image of Ed Miliband’s disastrous election campaign — has helped land Labour with the largest fine ever handed out by the Electoral Commission.
The then-Labour leader unveiled the 8ft 6in stone plinth carved with election promises in the run up to the 2015 general election, promising it would stand in Downing Street’s garden if the party won.
However, the stunt was ridiculed and became an emblem for Mr Miliband’s failed campaign.
Today the election watchdog issued the Labour party with a £20,000 fine, with a lengthy investigation finding a catalogue of undeclared election payments including two missing returns for the stone tablet.
Bob Posner, director of party and election finance at the Electoral Commission, said it was vital for well-established parties to “comply with the rules” and report their finances correctly.
Labour’s election spending was first investigated in January this year when it emerged that two payments worth £7,614 for the “Ed Stone” were missing from the party’s campaign spending return.
Labour’s own review found that there were also 24 items of expenditure worth £109,777 missing from the return.
The Electoral Commission then found further missing payments, including 49 payments relating to costs associated with the Labour Express battle bus tour which ferried activists to constituencies to campaign, and the Labour Students tour worth £11,357.
Altogether the watchdog found Labour had missed 74 payments totalling £123,748, as well as 33 separate invoices totalling £34,392.
Labour treasurer Iain McNicol was found to have committed two civil offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) and does not face criminal proceedings.
A Labour Party spokesman said: “Labour has co-operated fully with the Electoral Commission during its investigation into General Election 2015 campaign spending by political parties.
“The Commission’s investigation found that internal procedural errors led to a relatively small number of items of expenditure not being declared properly. The party regrets these administrative errors. However, these amounted to just over one per cent of our total spending of over £12 million during this election.
“We accept the findings of the report and have already tightened our internal recording procedures to address the Commission’s concerns.”
The limestone slab was broken up shortly after the general election.
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