Over 100 activists out – thanks to everyone who joined #LabourExpress for @olivercoppard & @paulasherriff pic.twitter.com/5JDyQoCpHa

— Jonathan Ashworth (@JonAshworth) March 7, 2015

This tweet shows Tom Watson and Jon Ashworth taking the Labour Express battle bus to Paula Sheriff MP’s Dewsbury constituency on March 7 2015. It appears up to 100 activists were transported on the bus to campaign in Sheriff’s seat during the long campaign regulated spending period. According to the Electoral Commission, this is local campaigning and should have been declared as part of the local campaign spend.

Yet Paula Sheriff’s long campaign declarations show Nil spend on transport:

The Electoral Commission say:

“If a battle bus promotes both the local candidate and national policies, then a portion of the cost of that bus should be allocated towards the candidate’s spending limit and a portion towards the party’s national spending limit.”

Paula Sheriff did not do so. This would appear to be a clear breach of the rules…