Tory accused of breaking by-election law

The by-election campaign for a safe Conservative seat was thrown into confusion last night after claims that the Tories' candidate was ineligible to stand.

Bob Neill, the Tory hopeful for Bromley and Chislehurst, confirmed that he was a £5,000-a-year member of the north-east London strategic health authority. Under the House of Commons' Disqualification Act 1975, membership of a such an authority is one of dozens of posts that MPs are not allowed to hold.

But Mr Neill said the disqualification provisions were not relevant because the health authority was due to be abolished on Friday, a day after the by-election.
Tory candidate accused of breaking by-election law
By Brendan Carlin, Political Correspondent
(Filed: 26/06/2006)



The by-election campaign for a safe Conservative seat was thrown into confusion last night after claims that the Tories' candidate was ineligible to stand.

Bob Neill, the Tory hopeful for Bromley and Chislehurst, confirmed that he was a £5,000-a-year member of the north-east London strategic health authority. Under the House of Commons' Disqualification Act 1975, membership of a such an authority is one of dozens of posts that MPs are not allowed to hold.

But Mr Neill said the disqualification provisions were not relevant because the health authority was due to be abolished on Friday, a day after the by-election.

"I took legal advice when I signed the form," said Mr Neill, a barrister.

However, the UK Independence Party and the Liberal Democrats accused Mr Neill of bad faith at the least and of breaching electoral law at the worst.

Nigel Farage, the Ukip candidate, accused him of "inexcusable arrogance" and said he could not be excused on a legal technicality.

"We will certainly consider launching an election petition to have the result on Thursday overturned were Mr Neill to win," he said.

The Liberal Democrats have said that Mr Neill is unfit to represent the seat. They have dubbed him "three jobs Bob" because of his health authority role, his job as a part-time barrister and his decision to retain his position in the London Assembly.

Lord Rennard, the Liberal Democrats' chief executive, said: "Should he have signed the election form saying that he would not be disqualified from taking his seat when, technically at that time, he was?"

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said that only the death of a monarch could halt a by-election once it had been called. It was open to aggrieved parties to petition to overturn the result.

Daily Telegraph