A KEY Vote Leave figure has sidestepped calls for her to apologise for the campaign breaking the law over its spending during the Brexit referendum.
Former Labour MP Gisela Stuart, who co-chaired the campaign body, argued that legal advice received at “every stage” ruled their activities compliant, but regulators found otherwise later on. She added that referendum rules should be clearer.
Last week, the Electoral Commission confirmed Vote Leave had withdrawn an appeal against fines for breaches of electoral law committed during the 2016 campaign.
Asked why Vote Leave dropped its appeal, Stuart told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “I think what it shows is we have been outspent at every stage of this process – whether it was before the referendum started and the Government spent £9.4 million on a leaflet, during the campaign ... collectively the Remain side spent more, and going to appeals costs money too.”
On whether she would apologise for the organisation breaking the law, Stuart replied: “It was in relation of one particular donation where the Electoral Commission interpreted the rules as that being acting in concert, which we had got legal advice which said it wasn’t.
“So the key question is, if anybody wants a second referendum then the referendum legislation as it stands – and the way the Electoral Commission and Information Commissioner interprets them – needs rewriting.”
The watchdog’s investigation had centred on a donation of almost £680,000 made by Vote Leave to BeLeave, a youth Brexit group.
This spending took Vote Leave over its £7 million legal spending limit.
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