Bromley and Chislehurst MP, Bob Neill wrote to the Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to ask him to investigate possible fraud by Unite in Lewisham Deptford.
London Labour activist Mandy Richards has alleged that Unite are 'bankrolling' a number of 'orchestrated' campaigns, and she singles out Lewisham Deptford for special attention. Given that this constituency appears on Unite's secret list Mr Neill expressed deep concerns that Falkirk-style abuses may also have taken place.
If the activities in Falkirk have been occurring elsewhere in England, there may have been fraudulent behaviour - a breach of Subsection 1, Section 2, of the Fraud Act 2006 under the terms of 'false misrepresentation', defined in the act as someone who '(a) dishonestly makes a false representation, and (b) intends, by making the representation, to gain for himself or another or causes loss to another/exposes another to a risk of loss'.
Bob Neill said, "I believe that this may also constitute fraud by abuse of position, breaching Section 4 of the Fraud Act 2006, which states, 'A person is in breach of this section if he: (a) occupies a position in which he is expected to safeguard, or not to act against, the financial interests of another person, (b) dishonestly abuses that position, and (c) intends, by means of the abuse of that position...to make a gain for himself or another'."
Lewisham Deptford Conservative chair, Tracy Sutton, has responded saying "Lewisham Deptford Conservatives supports calls made by the Conservative Party to refer the selection of the Labour candidate for Lewisham Deptford to the Police. Voters must have faith that the candidates they select are representing them, not the unions who bank roll them. It is important that politics is transparent and that we can trust politicians."
As the Unite-supported candidate is a current Lewisham Labour councillor, Conservative councillor Christine Allison has expressed concern about the amount of union interest on Lewisham Council. She said: "With Labour/Unite it's never about local people. To them it's about Union policy which is why they are so quick to see the negative in everything unless of course the Unions are involved."