Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay charged over Tory election fraud investigation

The Crown Prosecution Service made its announcement just days before the country votes in a general election

Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay after his 2015 win (AFP/Getty Images)

A Conservative fighting to retain his seat and his two aides have been charged with electoral fraud as part of a major investigation, less than a week before the country goes to the polls.

The Crown Prosecution Service announced on Friday that Craig Mackinlay, defending South Thanet for his party, has been charged following a probe into his 2015 election campaign expenses.

The CPS's statement said Mr Mackinlay, 50, is accused of "falsely" declaring expenses in the run up to the vote, which saw him narrowly defeat Ukip's Nigel Farage.

Allegations were made against a string of Tories after the election two years ago, relating to claims that incorrect expenses were filed for the party’s battle bus tour, but most had been dropped by the CPS up to now.

Announcing charges would be made against Mr Mackinlay, CPS head of special crime Nick Vamos said: "On 18 April we received a file of evidence from Kent Police concerning allegations relating to Conservative Party expenditure during the 2015 campaign.

"We then asked for additional enquiries to be made in advance of the 11 June statutory time limit by when any charges needed to be authorised.

"Those enquiries have now been completed and we have considered the evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have concluded there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to authorise charges against three people."

Agent Nathan Gray, 28, and Marion Little, 62, have also been charged with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983 and, with Mr Mackinlay, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on July 4.

The CPS's investigation saw them question whether any candidates had labelled spending on hotels and campaign material as national spending rather than local, potentially allowing them to increase their constituency campaigning without breaking a legal spending ceiling.

In Mr Mackinlay's case, the focus of the investigation is believed to have centred on whether stays for party workers at the Royal Harbour Hotel in Ramsgate and the Premier Inn in Margate were wrongly attributed to national party expenditure, rather than a local expense.

After charges against other candidates were dropped earlier this year, Theresa May and her party Chairman Patrick McLoughlin both argued that the legal authorities had "confirmed what we believed was the case all along, that these Conservative candidates did nothing wrong".

Mr McLoughlin added that the allegations had involved "politically motivated and unfounded complaints" and had "wasted police time", something Ms May also agreed with.

Following the CPS's new announcement on Friday, a Conservative Party spokesman said: "We continue to believe that this remaining allegation is unfounded. Our candidate has made clear that there was no intention by him or his campaigners to engage in any inappropriate activity.

"We believe that they have done nothing wrong, and we are confident that this will be proven as the matter progresses. The individuals remain innocent unless otherwise proven guilty in a court of law."

But news that one candidate will be charged with just days to go before voters once again go to the polls, will be unwelcome for the Conservative leader, who was hoping to pull her campaign back on track after her poll lead has dwindled.

The Conservatives have already admitted under-declaring spending on their national 2015 campaign and were fined £70,000 as a result, but they insist all local spending was properly declared. Labour and Liberal Democrats had also been fined by the Electoral Commission in relation to spending returns from 2015.

The Metropolitan Police is also considering whether the treasurer at the time, Simon Day, 'knowingly or recklessly made a false declaration'.