Following Guido’s story that Labour MP and West Yorkshire mayoral candidate Tracy Brabin has been spotted by the LibDems handing out Labour-branded brownies on her campaign trail – in contravention of electoral law – Brabin has now been reported to the police by the Tories. The complaint, submitted by Tory candidate Matt Robinson’s agent and also sent to the returning officer, asks the police to investigate whether “this reaches a threshold” to “constitute an offence of Section 114 of the Representation of the People’s Act 1983″.
The Tories tell Guido: “We knew Labour had nothing to offer the voters of West Yorkshire but resorting to giving away treats in return for campaign support really takes the biscuit”. Brabin will no doubt be irritated by the move, though that’s the way the cookie crumbles…
Read the relevant law in full:
S.114 Treating.
- A person shall be guilty of a corrupt practice if he is guilty of treating.
- A person shall be guilty of treating if he corruptly, by himself or by any other person, either before, during or after an election, directly or indirectly gives or provides, or pays wholly or in part the expense of giving or providing, any meat, drink, entertainment or provision to or for any person—
- for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting; or
- on account of that person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting, or being about to vote or refrain from voting.
3. Every elector or his proxy who corruptly accepts or takes any such meat, drink, entertainment or provision shall also be guilty of treating.
