Labour writes to CPS over 'fraudulent' Tory London mayoral leaflets
January 25, 2021, 12:07 pm

Labour writes to CPS over 'fraudulent' Tory London mayoral leaflets

Shaun Bailey’s campaign has faced repeated criticism for its tactics during the long build-up to the mayoral election.

Shaun Bailey criticised for publishing leaflets headed with fake City Hall insignia

The Labour party’s lawyers have written to the director of public prosecutions alleging that Shaun Bailey, the Conservative party’s candidate for London mayor, used fraud to influence upcoming elections by publishing leaflets headed with fake City Hall insignia.

Bailey’s campaign last month drew cross-party condemnation for the leaflets, which said Londoners’ council taxes would rise “if you do not take action” and vote against the incumbent mayor, Sadiq Khan. The leaflets did not explicitly mention the Conservative party.

Labour’s complaint called the leaflets a “fraudulent device” to gain undue influence, as described by the 1983 Representation of the People Act. Under the act, Max Hill, the director of public prosecutions, is responsible for making inquiries into potential offences.

The London mayoral election has been scheduled for May 2021, a year later than initially planned because of the coronavirus pandemic. Khan is the strong favourite to win.

Shaun Bailey’s campaign has faced repeated criticism for its tactics during the long build-up to the mayoral election. In November the campaign published leaflets and a website labelled as “Transport for London bailout facts”, which contained attacks on Khan’s policies, before the “City Hall” leaflets.

In both cases the campaign materials did not explicitly mention the Conservative party, only including the legally required reference to Shaun Bailey at the bottom, and the address of the Conservative party’s campaign headquarters.

Labour’s lawyers, the London-based firm Edwards Duthie Shamash, wrote that the “City Hall” leaflets were “preventing the free exercise of the franchise of electors”.

The letter, dated 21 January and seen by the Guardian, said the Bailey’s leaflets were an “attempt to attract the reader’s attention with the pretence that it is issued from the headquarters of the London mayor and the Greater London Authority, such that it is an official communication from a public authority with powers of taxation”.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “The Conservative party must immediately apologise for the actions of their London mayoral campaign and demonstrate that they are committed to following the law.”

Labour has also written to the British Polling Council, the association of pollsters, calling for the Conservative party to publish evidence for a claim made in a separate email newsletter that “a majority of voters now believe Shaun Bailey will do a better job as mayor” than Khan. The newsletter said the claim was based on “our latest internal polling”, but most publicly available polling has shown leads of 20 points or more for Khan.

Karen Buck, the Labour MP who chairs Khan’s re-election campaign, asked the council to try to identify the source of the polling. Members of the body have committed to publishing underlying polling data.

Bailey’s campaign has struggled to cut through during the extended campaign. The Conservatives argue that Khan mismanaged Transport for London’s finances before it required a government bailout during the pandemic and blame him for delays to Crossrail.

However, Bailey has faced criticism for comments made before he was a candidate that appeared to suggest that poorer people could not be trusted with money, and for suggesting homeless people would have enough money to save £5,000 for a house deposit.

A spokesman for Bailey’s campaign said: “We published our leaflet because Londoners have a right to know when their mayor is planning to hike council tax. The government have repeatedly said that Sadiq Khan does not have to raise council tax to fund TfL. So this is Sadiq Khan’s decision – and his alone.”

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it had received the letter but declined to comment further.

source: Jasper Jolly

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.