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Pro-EU campaigner honoured by David Cameron under investigation for election expenses

Police are examining claims about Will Straw's campaign at the 2015 election

Jon Stone
Tuesday 23 August 2016 13:19 BST
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(Getty Images)

Police are investigating the election expenses of the leader of the Remain EU referendum campaign, who was rewarded in David Cameron’s honours list.

Will Straw, who was given a CBE by the outgoing Prime Minister, is a former Labour candidate from the 2015 general election.

The Sun newspaper reports that police are looking into claims that Mr Straw did not properly record a visit to his 2015 target Rossendale and Darwen constituency by a Labour battlebus.

Election spending and financial support is tightly restricted in order to ensure that candidate with a financial advantage do not gain too much of an electoral advantage.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “Inquiries remain ongoing.”

Mr Straw is the son of former cabinet minister Jack Straw. This year he led the unsuccessful Stronger In campaign; he previously ran the political blog Left Foot Forward.

At the 2015 general election was defeated in his bid to enter Parliament by Conservative MP Jake Berry, who retained Rossendale and Darwen with a majority of 5,654.

The allegations are the latest in a string of claims about candidates’ election expenses at the 2015 general election.

All the main polical parties have been subject to similar claims: SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was accused of not recording supposed local spending on a helicopter, while Conservative activists were alleged to have not properly recorded tens of thousands of pounds in 29 marginal seats.

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