PETE Wishart has called on the Prime Minister to “ensure that our democracy is protected” in the wake of Vote Leave and Tory dark money scandals.
The SNP MP urged Theresa May to get tough on rule breakers after the police ruled out a criminal investigation of the pro-Brexit campaign, despite the Electoral Commission fining Vote Leave for breaking electoral rules.
He said: “In the face of clear breaches of electoral law where the Vote Leave campaign might just have cheated its way to victory, the police refuse to undertake a criminal investigation because of what they say are political sensitivities.”
The Scottish Tories also found themselves in Wishart’s crosshairs for their role in the dark money scandal. The Electoral Commission fined an Ayrshire-based Tory fundraising group for failing to notify the commission of a £100,000 donation made to the party on the eve of the 2016 Holyrood election.
Wishart pointed out that the Vote Leave scandal “comes on top of all the issues of unaccounted dark money sustaining the Scottish Conservatives”, which prompted him to ask the Prime Minister if she believes that the UK’s electoral laws are “fit for purpose”.
He added: “What will she personally do ensure that our democracy is protected from those who seek to circumvent it?”
Theresa May sought to distance the Government from the scandals, saying the Electoral Commission is an independent body linked to Parliament rather than government.
She said that the Tories would consider the commission’s new report on digital campaigning “very carefully”.
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