Labour Leave fined for failing to report donations during referendum campaign
Graham Stringer speaks during the Labour Leave launch on January 20, 2016. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images) - Credit: Getty Images
Labour Leave has been fined £9,000 for failing to report donations during the 2016 EU referendum.
The registered campaign group received 11 donations worth £420,000 during the referendum but did not report two of them.
Confirming Labour Leave has now paid the fines, she said: 'The responsible person for Labour Leave had an important legal duty to accurately report all donations.
'In this case, they failed to do so which led to a disappointing lack of transparency into the group's finances.'
Labour Leave was required to deliver pre-poll reports of donations received, and a post-poll spending return including all donations accepted.
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Edwards said investigators found two donations, each worth £10,000, had not been declared in pre-poll reports, nor in post-poll reports.
These were non-cash donations of office space, one from Better for the Country Limited, the other from John Mills Limited.
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Labour Leae was fined £1,000 for omitting the donations in pre-poll returns and £8,000 for omitting them again in post-poll returns.
A spokesperson for Labour Leave said: 'We can confirm that Labour Leave has been fined £9,000 for two administrative mistakes, which involve declaring donations on the wrong forms or accounts. We feel these fines are disproportionate for the mistakes made, but have accepted the result of the Electoral Commission and paid the fines quickly and in full.
'For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Mills declared all of these donations in either the reports or comprehensive accounts that were provided to the Electoral Commission, but the Electoral Commission has determined that these were not declared on the correct forms or accounts.'
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