Lib Dems broke rules on political phone calls

Lib Dems broke rules on phone calls

Lib Dems broke rules on phone calls

The Liberal Democrats broke electoral rules by setting up automated phone calls to voters, the information commission has found.

The party has now been ordered to cease making the calls or face prosecution.

The Liberal Democrats have said they will not appeal the decision, although the party insists they were for “genuine market research purposes”.

The party made 250,000 of the calls last week after Nick Clegg’s leader’s speech to the conference.

The SNP, which referred the calls to the commission, welcomed the news, with Fife MSP Tricia Marwick saying: “It has been clear since 2005 that this type of automated calling is prohibited.

“The hypocrisy of the Lib Dems in making these calls knows no bounds.”