Ryanair reported to police for offering cheap flights to expats voting Remain in referendum
Vote Leave campaigners say the firm’s €19.99 ‘Brexit special’ breaks bribery laws and was described as 'corrupt'
RYANAIR have been reported to the police after offering cheap flights to British expats who want to vote Remain in the EU referendum.
The Vote Leave campaign say the low-cost airline’s €19.99 ‘Brexit special’ breaches bribery laws and was described by director Dominic Cummings as “corrupt”.
The firm’s owner Michael O’Leary, who is a prominent backer of Britain staying in the EU, said the complaint was “desperate”.
Launched earlier this week, posters revealed Ryanair was offering overseas voters discount deals to return to the UK on the day of the referendum, 23 June, or the day before, 22 June.
They said it was “to help the more than 1.2m Brits living abroad fly back to vote ‘Remain’”.
But Mr Cummings has now delivered a two-page complaint to the Met police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.
He said: “By its discount on flights on the day before, and the day of the referendum, Ryanair is paying the expense, in part, of provision to voters in order to influence them to vote in the referendum.
“This appears to be corrupt, since the company is offering discounts on the commercial rate to customers with the sole aim of ensuring that they vote and vote to remain in the European Union.”
He asked Hogan-Howe to “investigate this matter with the utmost expedition”, before adding: “If this conduct were lawful, it would suggest that a public house next to a polling station could offer discounted drinks on polling day with the sole aim of promoting a vote for a particular outcome in the referendum and advertise the fact of its promotion and its purpose.
Responding, Mr O’Leary said: “Vote Leave must be getting really desperate if they are now objecting to low fare air travel for British citizens.
“Ryanair’s Fly Home to Vote Remain seat sale ... fully complies with Ryanair’s policy of lowering the cost of air travel to/from the UK.”
A spokesman for the Met confirmed it had received the letter and would respond in due course.
The Ryanair boss appeared alongside George Osborne, Vince Cable and Ed Balls this week to argue that air fares would increase if the UK voted to leave the EU.
Vote Leave are suggesting the offer breaks the rules on “treating”, as set out the 1983 Representation of the People Act, and that the promotion also breaks the 2010 Bribery Act.
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