Too late to investigate Farage election expenses, Essex Police say

It is excessively precocious to analyse whether Nigel Farage broke predetermination instrumentality connected spending astatine the wide election, Essex Police has said.

The Reform UK person had been referred to the constabulary pursuing claims by a erstwhile subordinate of his run squad that the run to get Mr Farage elected successful Clacton past twelvemonth overspent.

There are choky rules connected run spending successful the UK, including separating what is spent arsenic portion of a nationalist run and what is spent straight successful a constituency.

However, determination is simply a one-year statutory clip bounds to statesman immoderate investigation, which Essex Police said has present elapsed.

The unit said: "We person assessed a study relating to an allegation astir misreported expenditure by a governmental campaigner successful transportation with the wide predetermination successful July 2024.

"Having respect to the Representation of the People Act 1983, which states immoderate prosecution for specified an offence indispensable commence wrong 1 year, it has been concluded that this study falls extracurricular of the stated statutory clip limit, and nary probe tin instrumentality place."

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The allegations of overspending connected Mr Farage's run were archetypal reported astatine the commencement of past week, with Richard Everett - besides a erstwhile Reform councillor - claiming helium had passed accusation to the Metropolitan Police.

Reform was speedy to contradict the allegations, and accused Mr Everett of being a "disgruntled erstwhile councillor" who was expelled from the enactment "several months ago".

The overspending reportedly included failing to state spending connected leaflets, banners, inferior bills and the refurbishment of a barroom successful its Clacton run bureau - though Mr Everett said Mr Farage was "blissfully unaware" arsenic others managed the finances.

Labour Party seat Anna Turley had besides written to the Electoral Commission astir the claims.

Responding yesterday, the elections watchdog said: "We person responded to Anna Turley MP's correspondence, which raised questions astir Reform UK's spending astatine the 2024 wide election.

"After cautiously considering the accusation presented successful the letter, we did not place immoderate expenditure relating to Mr Farage's predetermination run successful Clacton that should person been declared successful Reform UK's nationalist expenditure."