UK Conservative Party fined £70k but 'mistake' is not a crime says CPS

Conservation battlebus. Photo: Chester Chronicle

In 2015, during former Prime Minister David Cameron's election campaign, it was found by the Electoral Commission that the Conservative Party had assigned expenses used by local agents to national funds. Under electoral rules, a party can only use money assigned to local party coffers- this is money raised from supporters and donors to the party. 

But on this occasion, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the conservation party officials allegedly used £275,000 from the national fund - some of that money was used for the party's battlebuses - buses used to campaign. Furthermore, £14,000  was used to pay for a nights stay in a hotel for the party's supporters and agents.

Today, the CPS has announced that there are no charges to be brought against the Conservative Party election spending investigation.

This leaves a couple of burning questions: Does this mean there was no wrong doing by the Conservative Party or that the mistake has been waived? If the Party was told to pay a fine, isn't there a presumption that there was wrong doing?

What do you think? Please, leave your comments.