CPS apologises to Michael Mates over electoral fraud allegations

The Portsmouth News reports an odd footnote to the allegations against Conservative candidate Michael Mates:

East Hampshire’s former MP has been paid substantial damages by the Crown Prosecution Service after he was wrongly accused of breaking election law.

Police have also apologised to Michael Mates and confirmed that he was not guilty of any offence during his attempt to become Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in 2012. He served as the East Hampshire MP for 36 years…

After an investigation by police, the CPS said that it would not be in the public interest to launch a prosecution even though a conviction was ‘a realistic possibility.’

However, it has now said its comments were wrong and that Mr Mates, who had offered to go to court to clear his name, was innocent.

At the time the CPS had weirdly concluded that someone could be young enough to stand but too old to be prosecuted if you’re accused of breaking election law.