Conservative MP David Mundell is facing a police investigation after complaints were made to the police following allegations that he has broken election spending rules.
The police complaint follows recent claims that Scotland’s only Tory MP broke the law by overspending on his general election campaign costs.
Conservative MP David Mundell is facing a police investigation after complaints were made to the police following allegations that he has broken election spending rules.
The police complaint follows recent claims that Scotland’s only Tory MP broke the law by overspending on his general election campaign costs.
Dumfries and Galloway Police have been asked to carry out a criminal inquiry after The Herald newspaper reported at the weekend that Mr Mundell had failed to declare £700 worth of spending in the correct section of his election accounts. Had he done so then the sum would have took him over the legal campaign limit, as set by the Electoral Commission.
The £700 relates to newspaper advertising and was incorrectly entered in the official accounts for his election costs, these accounts were signed off by Mr Mundell
The complaint is believed to have come from a member of the Labour party whose candidate, Claudia Beamish, finished runner up to Mr Mundell in the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale seat. Ms Beamish attracted a total of 13,263 votes to Mr Mundell’s 17,457.
Mr Mundell said: “I am very sorry that a mistake has been made in the completion of my election expense forms. This is solely due to human error and not any attempt to mislead.”
The blunder is acutely embarrassing for Mr Mundell who was overlooked twice for the role of Secretary of State for Scotland. The Tory MP has referred himself to the Electoral Commission over the row.
Mr Mundell has faced calls to stand down from his role as Junior Minister at the Scotland Office until the investigation is complete.