James O'Brien: Everyone should know about what Vote Leave did on Friday

James O'Brien has used his LBC radio show to lambast the media for overlooking the news that Vote Leave withdrew their appeal against their fine for breaking electoral laws on Friday.

The Electoral Commission fined Vote Leave £61,000 after ruling it exceeded the £7m spending limit during referendum campaigning.

Investigators found that £675,315 was funnelled through a pro-Brexit youth group called BeLeave, in order to avoid spending limits.

Campaign officials initially strongly denied the claims and vowed to appeal, but on Friday afternoon they officially withdrew that appeal.

Mr O'Brien said that the timing of their statement, coming on that day that the UK was meant to leave the EU, suggests that they may have wanted to see Brexit deal passed through Parliament before admitting their wrong-doing.

O'Brien said: "Of course we can't properly report on the fact that Vote Leave were found guilty of electoral offences by the Electoral Commission... that's what we've done to Britain. Turned it into a country where the winners are proven to have cheated, to have broken the law, to have ridden roughshod over what we would all have considered to be the finest traditions of British democracy.

"And they do so with barely a peep from the people paid to keep you informed and up to date."

Advertisement