“Treating” in Tower Hamlets?

It would be too much to find that Lutfer Rahman’s party in Tower Hamlets has broken electoral law again, even before he was elected.

Reports have reached us that some voters in Tower Hamlets were “treated” to gifts of food. This was a distribution of food to potential voters, and if what we are told is correct, to voters who had pledged to vote for Lutfer Rahman and Aspire.

This was done as supporters of Aspire delivered food, ostensibly to celebrate Eid ul Fitr at the end of Ramadan, just three days before the election; not to the needy, nor to the whole population, but to people who had pledged their votes for Rahman.

English electoral law prohibits “treating” and the legislation is found in the Representation of the People Act 1983.

114 Treating 

(1) A person shall be guilty of a corrupt practice if he is guilty of treating. 

(2) A person shall be guilty of treating if he corruptly, by himself or by any other person, either before, during or after an election, directly or indirectly gives or provides, or pays wholly or in part the expense of giving or providing, any meat, drink, entertainment or provision to or for any person— 

(a) for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting; or

How widespread this was, we do not know, but it may be worth a little further enquiry.