Before the British parliamentary election on 12 December not only differences in content provide for dispute between the parties: At least since this weekend, it is also allegations of electoral manipulation. The London police announced on Saturday that they had reported two cases of electoral fraud and misconduct in connection with the upcoming parliamentary election. The allegations are currently being examined by special investigators. Details did not make the police.
Brexit leader Nigel Farage had previously blamed Prime Minister Boris Johnson for "the worst level of corruption". Candidates of his party were offered jobs and titles of nobility if they withdrew their candidacy in the election on 12 December. Government officials, including Johnson's chief adviser Edward Lister, have contacted at least eight candidates to discuss these offers. Farage announced to contact the police.
Ann Widdecombe, candidate of the Brexit party in south-west England, was said to have offered to serve on the Brexit negotiating team post-election if she refused to run.
Labor politician demanded investigation, Conservatives deny allegations
At the beginning of the week, Farage had surprisingly announced that his party would not compete in 317 constituencies that were last won by the Conservative Party. This tends to increase the electoral chances of the Tories. Prior to the commencement of the police investigation, Charles Falconer, representative of the opposition Labor party in the House of Lords, had asked police chief Cressida Dick and the prosecutor to investigate the allegations.
Secretary of State and Tory politician Brandon Lewis told Sky News on Sunday that there have definitely been no such offers from the Tories to Brexit party politicians: "We're not doing deals with anyone."
"There have been no job offers ... we've been very clear about that."
Security Minister Brandon Lewis says the Conservative Party has not come to Brexit Party to get them to stand down. # GE2019
More on #Ridge here: https://t.co/tfevKoFTzy pic.twitter.com/qyYUJoRpR0
Earlier, Premier Johnson said there may have been "talks". He denied, however, that nobility titles were offered. His cabinet colleague Michael Gove told the British BBC that he has great respect for the Labor politician Falconer, but consider the allegations to be "quite nonsensical". According to Widdecombes, Gove said, "I can not imagine for a second that's true."
Dossier on Russia's possible interference will not be published until after the election
Although the allegations turn out to be false, another suspicion of manipulation hovers over the election campaign: Johnson's government is still refusing to publish a dossier on Russia's possible interference in the Brexit campaign three years ago and the 2017 parliamentary election that you have since one month. The opposition had vehemently demanded the release.
According to a report from the "Sunday Times" last weekend, the document lists the names of several major Russian donors to the British Conservatives - but in that context, it is unclear.
Secretary of State Lewis told the BBC on Friday that the report would not be released before the election. "We are in the Purdah phase, which will delay matters a little, but once the election is over, we will publish the report." "Purdah" in the UK refers to the time between announcing and holding an election. Meanwhile, the government must not announce anything that could influence the election campaign.
On 6 November, the Security Committee, which could have published the dossier after the government's approval, was also dissolved by the British Parliament. Secretary of State Lewis told Sky News Sunday: "We want to make sure, especially when it comes to national security, that we conduct the process cleanly and thoroughly."