Hampshire Chronicle columnist Joanna Lewis refers to the new MP benefiting “from a £90,000 cash injection provided by individual donors” (Chronicle, September 5). This is the sum which is revealed in his entry in the Commons register as “support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation”, with all entries dated in July or August 2024.
I have now inspected the returns of all the candidates’ election expenses lodged as the law requires with the acting returning officer. The MP’s agent lists donations received amounting to £55,078.66.
READ MORE HERE: Donation of £90,000 for Danny Chambers election campaign
The same return shows that their total expenditure during the election campaign, as defined by law, is said to be £19,823.95 of which £13,767.82 was spent on what Joanna rightly calls a “deluge of expensive leaflets” which is quaintly called in the legal wording “unsolicited material to electors”, together with only £262.80 on “advertising.” Further listed expenditure on “agent, staff, accommodation and administration” amounted to £5,793.33. The legal limit for spending by any candidate in this Constituency was under £21,000.
There is an interesting contrast with the Conservative candidate’s agent who declared total election spending of £20,232.04, made up of £9,060.30 on “unsolicited material” but £4,100.90 on advertising and £7,074.84 on “agent, staff, accommodation and administration.”
Can anyone really believe that the new MP with his “deluge of expensive leaflets” actually spent less in his general election campaign than his defeated Conservative opponent?
Patrick Davies,
Staple Gardens,
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