Was Farage Cheated Out Of Thanet Seat?

[Svejk]

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/20/watch-channel-4s-michael-crick-highlights-tory-south-thanet-expense-discrepanices/

[Svejk]

Will the EC do anything? What can they do? Will the BBC report this?( tory expense scandal being right up their street)

[ToraToraTora]

No, I doubt a spending discrepancy made the difference. I would have liked Nige to have won but I don't think this issue effected the result.

[jomifl]

I can't quite see how spending money in a hotel would gain 2,800 votes.

[Svejk]

Do you think the rule is pointless, jom?

[Gromit]

An interesting observation (that the national Tpry party paid hotel bills).

However, Channel 4 do not seem to have checked that the many UKIP activists in Thanet were paid for out of the Candidates expenses. I would suspect they weren't, as that too would also take Farages expenses over the limit.

Farage and UKIP are being strangely tight-lipped about this which also leads me to suspect they did the same.

Until it is proven that the many UKIP activists in Thanet for 5 weeks came out of Farages expenses, then I will not believe any foul play robbed Farage of a seat.

[Gromit]

// I can't quite see how spending money in a hotel would gain 2,800 votes. //

I can. A huge army of activists decended on Thanet, tasked with distributing pisters, leaflets, going door to door and engaging with the public. The more you have, the more your candidate benefits.

[Marshwarble]

Distributing leaflets, going door to door and engaging with the public. Anyone would think they were canvassing!

I don't see how Farage could have won South Thanet. He needs a consistency that fear immigrants, not one that which is made up of the same.

[jomifl]

/Do you think the rule is pointless, jom?/
not pointless but perhaps could be better targeted, a big booze up and free hotel accommodation for his mates might well have come out of election funds but it would hardly affect the results.

[mikey4444]

Farage lost because not enough people liked him enough...another one that went after the nitwit vote and failed.

[Baldric]

South Thanet 2015
Conservatives, 38%
UKIP 32%
Labour 24%
Others 4%
Greens 2%

And Labours excuse was?

[mikey4444]

It was a Tory seat in 2010, so was hardly on Labours win-list. But this was the 5th or 6th time Farage has tried to get into the HOC....Am I seeing a pattern developing here ?

[bazwillrun]

why is he a nitwit ?....

[Orderlimit]

Blimey, I didn't realise Ukip caned Labour by such a margin, although no real surprise I guess.

[mikey4444]

Orderlimit....but Farage lost AGAIN....like you I am not remotely surprised !

[Baldric]

I think the surprise was the size of Labour's defeat, not UKIP not winning tbh

[Orderlimit]

That's the reality Baldric, although personally I don't think it is any surprise labour got whacked hard. The end is near !

[mikey4444]

Baldric....well I for one wasn't in the least bit surprised that Farage lost, given his track record.

But I expect he will get in the HOC eventually, as long as he keeps trying.
Another 5-6 attempts should do it.

By the way, where has he been these last few weeks ?

[bazwillrun]

mikeys obsession...NF...why do you care where he is ?...

[Orderlimit]

Mikey4x4, I don't know enough about the subject but were you surprised Mr Ukip whacked Labour? (I guess you were v angry).

[bazwillrun]

"I guess you were v angry"

nowhere near as angry as when labour had a new one ripped at the last election....bitter anybody ?