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Agent did not see statements

By LUCY MILLARD 19/03/1999

Election agent Mr Des Whicher denied on Friday ever saying he was going to run a spend, spend, spend campaign. 

His barrister, Mr Edward Fitzgerald, said Mrs Gill Dawn had given evidence that Mr Whicher had made the remark during a car journey on the way back from a meeting in Retford.

Mr Whicher said he had never made such a remark. He could not remember any meeting in Retford at that time so no such conversation could have taken place, he said.

He also denied ever saying that he was not going to produce the election accounts after a meeting in October, 1997.

Mr Whicher said there had been no resolution at the meeting asking him for the accounts and he would have expected it to have been minuted if there had been one.

He said he had supported Fiona Jones in her selection as a prospective Labour candidate.

Mrs Dawn had also put herself forward and was chosen as reserve. Mr Whicher said she had told him she was devastated at not being put on the shortlist.

Mr Whicher said: "I can appreciate that. She was leader of the district council, the chairman of the Newark branch and the chairman of the trade and leisure committee on the town council.

"She withdrew her name and said she did not want it to be put forward even if anybody did fall by the wayside."

Mr Fitzgerald said the court had heard from Mrs Dawn that she had warned Mr Whicher that the Liberal Democrats were concerned about the Labour return at a district council by-election.

Mr Whicher said Mrs Dawn had not spoken to him about it.

The election account cheque book was given to Mr Whicher in September, 1996, but he said treasurer Mr Dominic Blaydon still had overall charge and it was his responsibility to produce a report about it.

Mr Fitzgerald said Mr Blaydon had told the court he had received the statements for the account but had passed them on to Mr Whicher.

But Mr Whicher said on Friday he had never received any.

He said: "He did not forward any statements, open or unopened. He did not hand any to me. I rarely saw him."

Mr Whicher said he was clear that the election expenses started with the adoption of the candidate, which in their case was March 29.

He said he knew the return had to include expenses for any sort of literature promoting the candidate, posters, balloons and pledge cards.

He said he did not feel that everything paid out of the election account would be a declarable election expense. It was used because the account was the only one with any money in it.

He said he had been a foot soldier in previous election campaigns but had never had anything to do with the accounts.

Said Mr Whicher: "I did my best to correctly reflect the election expenses we had incurred."

Mr Whicher said he had come across the Paxton's Court office and had made initial enquiries about it.

He said the office was a constituency one and something they had been looking for for more than a year.

He arranged for a £200 carpet and three telephone lines to be installed. The office was also equipped with stationery and a computer. Mr Whicher was asked if anybody had said he was running up election expenses.

He said nobody had ever suggested it to him at any time, either within the Labour party or elsewhere.

Mr Whicher said he had not declared Mrs Jones' hire car on the return because he did not believe it was the practice for a candidate to declare the use of the car.

 

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