Twenty-four Conservative MPs in marginal constituencies failed to declare thousands of pounds of spending during last year’s General Election campaign, the Daily Mirror has claimed.
The MPs had been helped out by the infamous RoadTrip 2015 campaign, which bused in hundreds of mostly young activists from across the country to campaign in marginal seats across the country.
However, their local campaigns did not pick up the tab for the influx of activists — they were instead paid for by the central party. If the estimated £2,000 costs had been paid for locally, some MPs would have broken strict election spending rules.
Although the total cost of the RoadTrip campaign — which descended into ignominy after the election following allegations of bullying and harassment — has never been published, The Mirror claims to have seen invoices indicating it would cost around £2,000 per day, including pay and expenses.
One receipt, for example, showed the cost for two buses in the South West and Midlands was £400 each a day to hire.
One activist, India Brummit, invoiced the party £1,060 a day for 10 days.
Ordinary volunteers were expected to pay up to £10 to join, but an online advert placed by Ms Brummit said: “We will meet ALL the remaining hotel costs and ALL the food costs and provide FREE transport to the Battlebus2015 hotel from London.”
The MPs named in The Mirror are:
James Heappey, MP for Wells who beat Liberal Democrat Tessa Munt by 7,585 votes (Con gain).
Michelle Donelan, MP for Chippenham who beat Liberal Democrat Duncan Hames by 10,076 votes (Con gain).
Michael Ellis, MP for Northampton North who beat Labour’s Sally Keeble by 3,245 votes (Con hold).
Scott Mann, MP for North Cornwall who beat Liberal Democrat Dan Rogerson by 6,621 votes (Con gain).
Graham Evans, MP for Weaver Vale who beat Labour’s Julia Tickridge by 806 votes (Con hold).
Mark Spencer, MP for Sherwood who beat Labour’s Leonie Mathers by 4,647 votes (Con hold).
Luke Hall, MP for Thornbury and Yate who beat Liberal Democrat Steve Webb by 1,945 votes (Con gain).
James Berry, MP for Kingston who beat Liberal Democrat Ed Davey by 2,834 votes (Con gain).
Anna Soubry, MP for Broxtowe who beat Labour’s Nick Palmer by 4,287 votes (Con hold).
Nigel Mills, MP for Amber Valley who beat Labour’s Kevin Gillott by 4,205 votes (Con hold).
David Morris, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale who beat Labour’s Amina Lone by 4,590 votes (Con hold).
Marcus Fysh, MP for Yeovil who beat Liberal Democrat David Laws by 5,313 votes (Con gain).
Stuart Andrew, MP for Pudsey who beat Labour’s Jamie Hanley by 4,501 votes (Con hold).
Oliver Colvile, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, who beat Labour’s Luke Pollard by 523 votes (Con hold).
Maggie Throup, MP for Erewash who beat Labour’s Catherine Atkinson by 3,584 votes (Con hold).
Karl McCartney, MP for Lincoln who beat Labour’s Lucy Rigby by 1,443 votes (Con hold).
Kevin Foster, MP for Torbay who beat Liberal Democrat Adrian Sanders by 3,286 votes (Con gain).
Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet who beat UKIP’s Nigel Farage by 2,812 votes (Con hold).
Marcus Jones, MP for Nuneaton who beat Labour’s Vicky Fowler by 4,882 votes (Con hold).
Amanda Milling, MP for Cannock Chase who beat Labour’s Janos Toth by 4,923 votes (Con hold).
Alex Chalk, MP for Cheltenham, who beat Liberal Democrat Martin Horwood by 6,516 votes (Con gain).
Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South who beat Labour’s Natasha Millward by 4,270 votes (Con hold).
Paul Scully, MP for Sutton and Cheam who beat Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow by 3,921 votes (Con gain).
David Nuttall, MP for Bury North who beat Labour’s James Frith by 378 votes (Con hold).
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