They couldn't write an 'X'

I am obliged (as so often!) to Guido Fawkes for summarising the recent court case in which the august officers stumblebums who run our Electoral Commission were humiliated in the High Court yesterday in their ludicrous action against the 'Vote Leave' organisation who, they claimed, had broken the strict financial rules governing receipt of funds in the recent referendum. 

It now transpires that prior to the referendum, 'Vote Leave' diligently requested advice and instruction from the Electoral Commission as to what was permitted and what was not.  They followed these rulings meticulously - and then found themselves accused of cheating by, er, well, the Electoral Commission, actually!  The Commission is now attempting to impose 'yuuuuuge' fines on 'Vote Leave' - for following their own advice!

'Guido' sums it up thus:

The High Court’s judgement describes the Electoral Commission as “unconstructive”, “arbitrary” and lacking “any rational basis” for its actions. They have ruled that the Electoral Commission itself does not understand electoral law. How can the Electoral Commission possibly be fit for purpose if it does not even understand electoral law itself?

I could not have put it better myself - well done, Guido - again!

 

Comments

[The Jannie]

And who appointed the members of saifd commission, I wonder . . .

[david morris]

Electoral Commission ?

10 People : 3 of whom are Labour Party appointed bureaucrats,
1 Pro Eu ex Labour Party MP (caught misusing public money)
1 SNP has been
1 Limp Dim has been
1 Ex BBC employee with Pro EU/Anti Trump Twitter account
1 Chair of Pro EU Foundation
1 Pro EU Tory (formerly Labour & SNP
1 Career Pro EU Banker

All uniquely qualified...

[Whyaxye]

It's the British Way, isn't it? Out rulers can't be bothered to make decisions, so they pass the buck on to numerous shabby little quangoes and "bodies" and groupings who are largely drawn from their social circles. Anyone who expresses dissent doesn't get a kicking - Oh, no, we're much too civilised for that! - they just get passed from one dodgy group of establishment bullshitters and puffed-up lawyers to another, until such time as they run out of energy or money.

Political death by regulation and obfuscation. As you say, we owe Guido and his team a huge debt of gratitude for exposing this nonsense.

[Peter Whale]

None of their appointments are based on meritocracy they are always political.
Look at Mark (Reggie) Carney from Non the plusses Brexit if anyone can miss the bus it will be him.

[JK]

I think David I may have a comment landed in spam.

[David Duff]

Sorry, JK, I can find no sign of you apart from your comment above which seems to have arrived without passing through my mail box! I trust you are not using one of your Top Secret whizzy-do machines!

[Loz]

Vote Leave might have slipped off the hook, but the ERG has taken its place with dodgy bank accounts to entertain Brexiteer fat cats ...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6170267/PETER-OBORNE-Im-convinced-Brexit-deal-sealed-kiss.html

"Furthermore, awkward questions are being asked about the funding of the ERG, with a possible investigation by parliamentary watchdogs into a secret bank account used to pay for wining and dining supporters."

And that's Peter Oborne in the Daily Mail making the observation that Theresa May may be about to pull off Brexit and become a great PM - something I said a year ago. Not quite Churchill and Thatcher, but there or thereabouts.

If she manages to get Macron and Merkel to ditch Barnier and Juncker's flinty wall diplomacy, and keep manufacturing inside the single market and services outside, arrest freedom of movement (sadly), fetter ECJ jurisdiction, implement a light touch border control between NI and ROI, and thereby deliver what she said she would: what the Brits asked for, while flipping a V-sign to Brexiteer and Remainer alike, it will be no mean feat.

Oborne, like myself, believes it's not only possible, but the front-runner in the Brexiteer stakes.

SoD

[David Duff]

Yes, I read Oborne this morning and he is not a man whose opinion I would dismiss easily. We shall see what we shall see . . .

[Loz]

It would have many benefits, including: sweeping the senior ranks of the Tory party clear of all those hard Brexiteer swivel-eyed loons, dispatching Corbyn to the Spinal Tap "where are they now" folder, and thwarting forever Blair et al from picking up the soft left mantle with a new party.

The only survivors would be Hammond and Gove (my MP) - a follow-on future PM chancellor combo after May. Gove would get SoD's "Machiavelli of the Year" award for the way he has sliced and chopped his way through the pol competition, and for his cool intelligence in realising that hard Brexit and Remain were poisoned chalices, worthy in emotion only. Seeing him go up against Merkel, Macron and Trump would be very interesting. And "spreadsheet Phil" has stayed solid to his balance the books principles, the deficit dropping like a stone. A not half bad combo all considered.

So if May gets another run, and Gove / Hammond another two, while services gets to establish itself in the big bad world of global competition, and manufacturing remains safe in the harbour of the single market, that'll put Blighty in a great posture for anything that happens and any direction she needs to go in the future vis-a-vis developments in Europe.

By George and all the Saints, I have some optimism after these two years.

Go for it, Lady Theresa of May, your faithful servant Lord SoD, descendant of Ap-Lake, Knight of the Round Table, shall lead the charge into the global world of services, authoritarian heathen and infidel beware: Libertarian Blighty is coming to a town near you.

SoD

[Loz]

Oh look at the hindsight jockeys, all scrambling for a position to tell us how Theresa May had it right all the time, and how they knew she would out manoeuvre, Brexiteer, Remainer, EU, and Corbyn alike ...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/09/19/whether-brexiteers-like-not-single-minded-theresa-may-can-almost/

But YOU know, the only one who praised Saint Theresa of May and observed the long term effects of her strategy a year in advance was yours truly on D&N.

And I've just seen, look: Barnier has caved on the Irish border! ...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/09/19/eu-ready-improve-offer-irish-border-says-michel-barnier-ahead/

Put a punt on the UK property market, the FTSE, and sterling. If in one year's time you haven't earned at least 10% on all of them I'll buy you a digital pint.

I don't know how this country always turns up trumps with the top job when the chips are down, but I'm mighty pleased and proud it does. A spot of upper lip-wobble might have spotted on the Slough Trading estate around about lunchtime today ... no, never, say it ain't so!

SoD

[David Duff]

For God's sake, SoD, remember your British, er, well, Singaporean British anyway! And do not start counting chickens, wait until the final deal and study the small print!