Police asked to probe David Mundell's spending ahead of general election

Published on Wednesday 14 July 2010 19:00

POLICE have been asked to investigate Scotland Office minister David Mundell for allegedly breaking strict spending limits ahead of May's general election.

Dumfries and Galloway Police have been asked to carry out a criminal inquiry after it emerged at the weekend that Mr Mundell had failed to declare 700 worth of spending from his election accounts. That sum took him over the spending limit assigned to all election candidates under the Representation of the People Act.

The complaint to the police is believed to have been made by a member of the Labour party, whose candidate came second behind Mr Mundell for the Conservatives in his Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale seat.

The row relates to official accounts signed by the MP on his election costs that showed he stayed just within the maximum allowed. However, Mr Mundell's staff listed a bill for newspaper advertising under a heading covering his expenses from the start of the year, when it should have been listed for during the campaign. Had it been added, he would have gone over the legal campaign limit, as set by the Electoral Commission. The police have now been asked to look into the matter.

Mr Mundell said: "I am very sorry that a mistake has been made in the completion of my election expense forms. This is solely due to human error and not any attempt to mislead."