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So, as Dominic Cummings helps mastermind the British government’s response to COVID-19 - most deaths in Europe & counting - the Met police drops investigation into offences that put him there. To those talking about ‘inevitable public inquiry’. You sure? https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/met-drop-investigation-into-brexiteers-darren-grimes-and-alan-halsall-over-election-spend-1-6644831
Met police says it took preliminary advice from CPS & decided ‘no further action will be taken’. Meanwhile, I’m sure it will be no surprise to anyone that the chief executive of Vote Leave is deliberately distorting facts. Vote Leave *admitted* it broke the law in July 2018.
Vote Leave broke the law. It appealed. It failed. It finally admitted it & paid fine. A file was passed to Met Police. But of course it wasn’t Dominic Cummings in the frame. Or even Matt Elliott. No, it was David ‘signed his name on the form’ Halsall https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44856992
Who he? Well exactly. But you’ve heard of Darren Grimes. The idea that either of them was mastermind behind plan was ridiculous. But theirs were the names on the forms so only they were referred to police, as @_EmmaGH pointed out here https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/17/vote-leave-broke-electoral-law-and-british-democracy-is-shaken
In any other election, we have legal framework that ensures illegality on scale of Vote Leave would see result set aside & election re-run. Instead 61k fine, 2 scapegoats referred to police (now dropped). Those responsible never held to account. Instead they run the country
So, here's why scrutiny & accountability in real time matters. It's not just about holding those responsible to account. It's about learning the lessons. And we haven't. Cummings got away with it. That's the lesson he learned.
