Reform UK Councillors 'Exploited Legal Loophole' to Dodge Spending Limits on Farage Election Leaflets
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Reform candidates in one of the party's newly claimed councils exploited a legal loophole allowing them to send out mass mailouts to voters from Nigel Farage, which did not count towards local election spending limits.
At least a dozen Reform UK councillors elected in May did not declare costs for two direct mail campaigns from their party leader, expenses records analysed by Byline Times suggest - despite the Reform leader talking about Durham County Council and its handling of taxpayer funds.
At least two mass mailings from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went out to residents ahead of May's local elections, which explicitly mention Durham County Council. Reform won control of the council, one of 12 areas now in their hands.
This outlet has obtained electoral expense declarations from Durham County Council for newly elected Reform UK councillors.
Failure to declare election spending would constitute an offence under the Representation of the People Act. The Act requires declaration of any expenses "used for the purposes of the candidate's election" including free services or facilities.
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If the leaflets had counted towards local spending limits, in most cases analysed the maximum threshold would have been breached, and the votes would likely have to be re-run.
However, it appears that the mailouts do not legally have to be declared locally due to a legal loophole which excludes communications that do not specifically mention the candidates' names. Transparency campaigners at Spotlight on Corruption say this is a 'glaring loophole' in the rules, which are designed to create a level playing field.
Several other areas received similar locally-facing leaflets from Nigel Farage ahead of the local elections, including Devon, Shropshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Staffordshire. Reform won control of Staffordshire.
The posted mailouts ahead of May from Reform leader Nigel Farage sent to Durham residents attacked the then-Lib Dem coalition administration. The posted letter states: "Your local council in Durham has wasted vast amounts of your taxpayer money…
"They have racked up debts of £409m and raised your council tax bill by £461 over the last four years."
All of the 12 Reform councillors' spending returns analysed would have been pushed over the legal spending limit, had they been made to declare the Durham-facing leaflets from Nigel Farage sent by Reform HQ.
Tim Picton, Senior Advocacy Advisor at Spotlight on Corruption, told Byline Times the findings "underlines yet again the importance of robust campaign finance rules."
"Campaign spending limits exist for important reasons. There is a golden opportunity in the [Government's] upcoming Elections Bill to close this glaring loophole and level the playing field when it comes to local election spending."
"Otherwise, it will continue to be exploited by larger parties, such as Reform UK, who have significant resources to back their local candidates, unlike independent candidates or those representing smaller parties."
Spotlight on Corruption is now calling on the Government to give the Electoral Commission the responsibility to centrally publish local election expenses to improve transparency and enable greater public scrutiny.
Deputy leader Darren Grimes' expenses include £850 for a promotional video by an unexpected videographer, "moody/arty" Turkish-Scottish music artist Sel MacLean. But, like the others analysed, Nigel Farage's two Durham-focused letters to local residents were not declared. There is no suggestion of rule-breaking.
Opposition figures suggest "very considerable undeclared funds" may have been pumped into Reform's local election campaigns. But the Electoral Commission suggests no rules have been broken.
It is possible that similar practices occurred in many...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Reform candidates in one of the party's newly claimed councils exploited a legal loophole allowing them to send out mass mailouts to voters from Nigel Farage, which did not count towards local election spending limits.
At least a dozen Reform UK councillors elected in May did not declare costs for two direct mail campaigns from their party leader, expenses records analysed by Byline Times suggest - despite the Reform leader talking about Durham County Council and its handling of taxpayer funds.
At least two mass mailings from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went out to residents ahead of May's local elections, which explicitly mention Durham County Council. Reform won control of the council, one of 12 areas now in their hands.
This outlet has obtained electoral expense declarations from Durham County Council for newly elected Reform UK councillors.
Failure to declare election spending would constitute an offence under the Representation of the People Act. The Act requires declaration of any expenses "used for the purposes of the candidate's election" including free services or facilities.
Don't miss a story
SIGN UP TO EMAIL UPDATES
If the leaflets had counted towards local spending limits, in most cases analysed the maximum threshold would have been breached, and the votes would likely have to be re-run.
However, it appears that the mailouts do not legally have to be declared locally due to a legal loophole which excludes communications that do not specifically mention the candidates' names. Transparency campaigners at Spotlight on Corruption say this is a 'glaring loophole' in the rules, which are designed to create a level playing field.
Several other areas received similar locally-facing leaflets from Nigel Farage ahead of the local elections, including Devon, Shropshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Staffordshire. Reform won control of Staffordshire.
The posted mailouts ahead of May from Reform leader Nigel Farage sent to Durham residents attacked the then-Lib Dem coalition administration. The posted letter states: "Your local council in Durham has wasted vast amounts of your taxpayer money…
"They have racked up debts of £409m and raised your council tax bill by £461 over the last four years."
All of the 12 Reform councillors' spending returns analysed would have been pushed over the legal spending limit, had they been made to declare the Durham-facing leaflets from Nigel Farage sent by Reform HQ.
Tim Picton, Senior Advocacy Advisor at Spotlight on Corruption, told Byline Times the findings "underlines yet again the importance of robust campaign finance rules."
"Campaign spending limits exist for important reasons. There is a golden opportunity in the [Government's] upcoming Elections Bill to close this glaring loophole and level the playing field when it comes to local election spending."
"Otherwise, it will continue to be exploited by larger parties, such as Reform UK, who have significant resources to back their local candidates, unlike independent candidates or those representing smaller parties."
Spotlight on Corruption is now calling on the Government to give the Electoral Commission the responsibility to centrally publish local election expenses to improve transparency and enable greater public scrutiny.
Deputy leader Darren Grimes' expenses include £850 for a promotional video by an unexpected videographer, "moody/arty" Turkish-Scottish music artist Sel MacLean. But, like the others analysed, Nigel Farage's two Durham-focused letters to local residents were not declared. There is no suggestion of rule-breaking.
Opposition figures suggest "very considerable undeclared funds" may have been pumped into Reform's local election campaigns. But the Electoral Commission suggests no rules have been broken.
It is possible that similar practices occurred in many...
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