Old Fashion Student During The Referendum
Vote Leave donated 625,000 to a 23 canada goose outlet year old fashion design student from Brighton in the final canada goose coats on sale days of the EU referendum campaign, in a highly unusual transfer of funds canada goose outlet uk sale revealed in Electoral Commission figures.
The official group behind the successful campaign to leave canada goose uk outlet the EU transferred the cash to Darren Grimes shortly canada uk canada goose outlet goose buy canada goose jacket outlet canada before polling day, giving a substantial proportion of its entire funding canada goose black friday sale pot to the largely unknown student campaigner to spend in the final week of the campaign.
Despite having a limited track uk canada goose record Canada Goose sale of running well financed political groups, this made Grimes who has previously appeared in BBC videos criticising canada goose clearance sale unpaid internships Canada Goose Jackets one of the https://www.canadagooseoutlet4online.com best funded unofficial campaigners of the entire EU referendum.
Vote canada goose outlet toronto factory Leave’s decision to give such a large sum Canada Goose online of money to a parallel political campaign is very unusual in UK politics. If Canada Goose Online Grimes had coordinated with Vote canada goose uk black friday Leave when agreeing how to spend the money then it could possibly have to count towards the official anti EU campaign group’s strict 7 million referendum spending limit.
A spokesperson for canada goose outlet sale the Electoral Commission confirmed that while it was acceptable for one campaign canadian goose jacket to canada goose outlet online uk donate to canada goose outlet parka another „all expenditure they spend canada goose store working together would be reported under canada goose outlet in canada goose uk shop usa expenditure of canada goose black friday Canada Goose Parka sale Vote Leave“.
Grimes, a former Lib Dem activist from County Durham who recently joined the Conservatives, also received 50,000 from an individual Vote Leave donor in the final 10 days of canada goose Canada Goose Outlet outlet online the referendum.
The timing of canada goose jacket outlet the donations meant they jacket did not have to be declared until after canada goose outlet reviews the result was known, meaning they could not be scrutinised before the vote.
The total of 675,315.18 given to Grimes via four donations spread canada goose over eight days took him very close to the canada goose outlet black friday 700,000 limit any registered canada goose cheap canada goose uk outlet new york city individual was legally allowed to spend in the campaign.
By comparison, Vote Leave raised 9.2 million from canada goose cheap Canada Goose outlet shop members of the public in canada goose factory outlet the entire five month regulated campaign period.
Grimes told BuzzFeed News the money went on his BeLeave project, which targeted young voters and tried to convince them of the benefits Canada Goose Coats On Sale of Brexit. The project was listed as an official Vote Leave outreach group but had just over 6,000 Facebook official canada goose outlet fans and fewer than 4,000 Twitter followers.
Some details of the funding arrangement were also reported canada goose outlet store in the latest edition of Private Eye. But Grimes elaborated and explained he spent the canada goose coats substantial sum of money on a Canadian political consultancy called AggregateIQ, who are „data and social media experts“ and ran a sophisticated online political goose outlet canada campaign on his canada goose outlet canada goose factory sale jackets behalf.
„AggregateIQ helped us reach as many people as possible,“ he told BuzzFeed News. buy canada goose jacket cheap „As a digital campaign targeted toward millennials, it was essential we reached our target audience. AggregateIQ used video advertising, Google Ads, landing pages on our website to inspire sign ups and help us get out the vote on polling day using text messages and newsletters. “
AggregateIQ, based in British Columbia, could not be reached for comment.
Vote Leave did not immediately respond to a request canada goose outlet nyc for comment, in part because their phone lines have been deactivated following the canada goose outlet uk completion of the campaign. However, one Vote Leave campaigner said Grimes was often seen at the Vote Leave office during the referendum.
Grimes also canada goose clearance said canada goose outlet store uk Anthony Clarke, the pro Brexit donor who gave him 50,000 the day before Clarke gave 40,000 to the main Vote Leave campaign had approached him directly to offer the money.
