Posted: Friday, 4 January 2019 @ 13:43
So Nigel Farage could be in trouble with the election watchdog after failing to declare £200,000 in donations over more than a decade.
The Ukip leader apparently disclosed to Brussels authorities that he had been receiving free use of an office in Britain since 2001 but he did not tell the Electoral Commission. This deals with whether Mr Farage has been pocketing EU expenses.
Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, regulated recipients - including MEPs like Mr Farage must report gifts within 30 days of accepting them. The penalties for not complying can include fines of up to £20,000 and, in the most extreme cases, a 12-month prison term.
From my point of view it makes a nice story that Mr Farage may end up in jail. It seems unlikely that it will happen. What I would say is that all of us are under much more scrutiny with potential legal hurdles, watchdogs and ombudsmen.
There seems to be so many strands of legal bureaucracy in everything we do. If you are not happy with your energy bill, you can complain to an ombudsman. If you are not happy with your lawyer, you can complain to an ombudsman. Whether it leads to more justice is another matter.
Perhaps someone who is more likely to go to jail than Mr Farage is the dog owner, Russell Hoyle whose rottweiler was sent a voting card. Hoyle could face jail after being reported to the police for allegedly providing false information to the electoral roll. According to the Guardian, Hoyle, 45, says there was a mix-up during the last census when an official came to his house asking who lived at the address. He claims he said: "There is myself and my wife. My son is not old enough to vote." He then says he joked: "We have got Zeus living here as well and he is 63 in dog years." I hope the CPS have a sense of humour for the sake of Mr Hoyle.