The investigation found:

• - £104,765 of payments were missing from the 2015 general election spending return
• - Separately, up to £118,124 was either not reported or was inaccurately reported
• - 81 payments to the value of £52,924 were missing the required invoices or receipts
• - At least some of the reported £38,996 Battlebus expenditure should have counted towards candidates' budgets, rather than counted as party spending
• - £63,486.83 of Battlebus expenditure was not included in the report due to "human error"
• - Records explaining the amounts invoiced to candidates were not maintained

The rules established by Parliament for political parties and their finances are there to ensure transparency and accountability.

Where the rules are not followed, it undermines voters’ confidence in our democratic processes, which is why political parties need to take their responsibilities under the legislation seriously.

This is the third investigation we have recently concluded where the largest political parties have failed to report up to six figure sums following major elections, and have been fined as a result.

There is a risk that some political parties might come to view the payment of these fines as a cost of doing business.
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The Commission therefore needs to be able to impose sanctions that are proportionate to the levels of spending now routinely handled by parties and campaigners.

– SIR JOHN HOLMES, ELECTORAL COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

Channel 4 News's Political Correspondent Michael Crick has spent more than three months investigating Conservative Party expenses in 2014 and 2015.

Our first investigation in January revealed the party had spent more than £14,000 at the Royal Harbour Hotel in Ramsgate, which they claimed as a national rather than a local expense.

On 25 February we revealed huge sums of seemingly undeclared spending by the party in 2014 in three key by-elections in Newark, Clacton-on-Sea and Rochester and Strood.

We also revealed how the Party bussed activists to multiple "Stop Farage" events in South Thanet.

​ The costs, including overnight accommodation were not declared.

ElectioN expenses watchdog requests investigation extension?

The elections watchdog has asked for more time to pursue possible criminal prosecutions regarding Tory election spending, as a summit is called to consider the evidence revealed by Channel 4 News.

Following months of investigations by Channel 4 News, the Electoral Commission has requested an extension to the time limit available to pursue possible criminal prosecutions regarding Conservative Party campaign spending review.

Bob Posner Director of Party and Election Finance & Legal Counsel at the Electoral Commission said, “The police and the CPS both have the power to apply to the Courts to extend the time limit on bringing criminal prosecutions for electoral offences to allow for full investigations to take place. We have requested that they consider doing this.”