File handed to prosecutors over Vote Leave, Scotland Yard says

Officers investigating alleged breaches of election law by the official Brexit campaign have passed a file to prosecutors, Scotland Yard said.

The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into Vote Leave – which counted among its directors Dominic Cummings, who is now a senior adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson – after being passed material by the Electoral Commission.

The campaign group was fined £61,000 in July last year after the commission found it had exceeded its legal spending limit of £7 million by almost £500,000.

On Friday, a spokesman said a file was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) last month regarding Vote Leave and youth Brexit group BeLeave.

The unofficial Leave.EU campaign also faced a police investigation over its spending during the 2016 referendum after a referral from the commission.

But Scotland Yard dropped the case in September, saying there was “insufficient evidence” to justify further criminal investigation.

A Met spokesman said: “On Thursday, October 17, the MPS submitted a file to the CPS for early investigative advice in relation to the second investigation, which followed a referral from the Electoral Commission on July 17 2018 and concerns Vote Leave and BeLeave.”

As part of its investigation, the commission also said £675,000 spent by BeLeave should have been declared by Vote Leave.