Labour: Momentum fined £16,700

THE Labour-supporting Momentum group has been fined £16,700 for “multiple breaches of electoral law”, the Electoral Commission has said.

This included the highest fine issued to a non-party campaign for not submitting an accurate spending return.

The watchdog said poor record keeping by the group during the 2017 general election was one of the reasons for the fine.

Momentum blamed clerical errors, which was “not surprising” for a new group.

The grassroots group was formed out of the campaign that supported Jeremy Corbyn in his successful 2015 leadership bid and now campaigns for Labour.

It is the first time the group has been investigated by the elections watchdog.

The group registered as a non-party campaigner during the snap June 2017 general election and submitted a spending return to the commission in September 2017.

But the watchdog says a “number of issues” were found and an investigation was launched in November 2017.

Momentum was fined:

• £12,150 for failing to submit a spending return that was complete and accurate
• £2,700 for omitting £22,958.46 of reportable donations from a post-poll donation report
• £250 for failing to provide the required declaration to accompany their post-poll donations report
• £250 for failing to provide all required invoices with their spending return