Electoral Commission Investigation: Vote Leave Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Electoral Commission Investigation: Vote Leave

Desmond Swayne Excerpts
Tuesday 17th July 2018

(6 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Desmond Swayne Portrait Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
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Let the law take its course. By what factor did the Government and the other remain campaigns outspend the leave campaigns? It was 2:1, was it not?

Chloe Smith Portrait Chloe Smith
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My right hon. Friend reminds us that there are designated lead campaigners in referendums. The subject matter of this report is in part how leave campaigners interacted with other campaigners. The virtue of having this report is that it allows us to examine spending—it brings spending into the light. It is about transparency of spending, as is, of course, the rest of the apparatus of what we do to regulate elections. This is an examination of allegations rather than the whole dataset. Again, my right hon. Friend reminds us that there are people who feel that these arguments cut both ways.