hello, it's thursday, it's 9 o'clock i'm victoria derblshjgg welcome to the programme. the conservative party say it is all down . administrative - but the electoral commission - the may have given tory are prospect of over their opponents. cg same s am sunposed s am supposed t0%é s am supposed to be%§ tonight i s am supposed to be%§ tonight. i really do not want tonight and i really do not wantil only is it breaking out, it is not only is it breaking out; it is , , itchy and it hurts, it is alsessgdflch ' ' ' as alsesgdflch ' ' ' as well. it is painful as well. we'll bring you a special report and your own epxerience is very welcome. plus voters in holland reject the anti—immigration, anti—eu freedom party. we'll have the details. hello, welcome to the programme,

we're live until 11 this morning. at half ten we'll talk about the changes which are being brought in today to disability benefits called personal independence payments. we asked for an interview with a member of the government to explain the changes to you on the day they come in but the work and pensions secretary, the minister for welfare delivery, the minister for welfare reform, the disabilities minister, and the employment minister, weren't available. we're going to talk about it anywayjust after 10:30. use the hashtag victoria live and if you text, you will be charged at the standard network rate. our top story today: the conservative party has been fined a record £70,000 for breaching the rules on election expenses. the electoral commission says there were significant failures in the party's reporting during by—elections in 2014, and in the 2015 general election. 0ur political guru, norman smith, is at westminster.

it began with an investigation by channel 4 news. it began with an investigation by channel!» news. it is it began with an investigation by channel 4 news. it is significant because it leaves open the question as to whether the conservative patti as to whether the conservative party secured a political advantage in key marginal seats at the last election which david cameron one and helped to secure victory at the election for the conservatives, that they secured an advantage in those key marginal seats by basically abusing the election expenses rules. the allegation is that in a constituency you are only allowed to spend £15,000, the candidates. the claim is the tory party got round those rules by using activists who were on a battle bus, part of tbe rules by using activists who were on a battle bus, part of 3 national. campaign, to campaign locally and 2—— ;—— 25:5 to declare that fig; to declare that money = part m expenditure. national expenditure. in ‘ words they were able to

other words they were able to buttress, boost and bolster locat campaigns, piling in more money without having 2 declare the money without having to declare the money as part . the without having to declare the money as part. the fig? campaign. without having to declare the money as part . the fig? campaign. that as part of the local campaign. that is the allegation. the tory is. ‘j‘be— e!!ereéieb “jib:— 1553—2; “51“??— said it was an administrative error. significantlyi , said it was an administrative error. significantly the , said it was an administrative error. significantly the electoral qaf—eee— significantly the electoral hare significantly the electoral are not saying that this ycygmmission are not saying thatthis deliberate cytymmission are not saying thatthis deliberate by the conservative was deliberate by the conservative party, but they are not ruling it out and they have referred this to metropolitan. motropoliton police metropolitan police to metroo whether .ice to was a investigatewhether there. was a! motive behind this election expenses misreporting, whether. motive that was in effect to an advantage in these seats. i think we can ffiérfiifiaiseafs itfiiniiweféfi., ,, , ‘from the chief ffiérfiifiaiseafs itfiiniiweféfi., ,, , of i from the chief ffiérfiifiaiseafs itfiiniiweféfi., ,, , of the m the chief executive of the electoral commission. 1“ executive of the electoral commission. our investigation looked at the conservative party's national spending return for three peekil 2014 and spending return for three baggie-45. 2014 and the parliamentary - election in parliamentary general election in asa parliamentary general election in

as ajegmjg of parliamentary general election in as a et“? of that, we found parliamentary general election in high is a a of that, we found parliamentary general election in high number; of that, we found parliamentary general election in high number of of that, we found parliamentary general election in high number of mistakes e found parliamentary general election in high number of mistakes and jnd parliamentary general election in high number of mistakes and errors a high number of mistakes and errors andla a high number of mistakes and errors and l a result we have fined the highest ever find we issued. claire - of the have issued. claire bassett of the electoral commission. the electoral commission are now saying they need more to impose commission are now saying they need more - to impose much bigger commission are now saying they need more because :o impose much bigger commission are now saying they need more because theirjose much bigger commission are now saying they need more because their ”my“ is bigger titles becausethei—lcmcemjs parties will view political parties will simply view these fines as a necessary political ‘financial hit to take in - to or financial hit to take in order to gain an advantage e key. or financial hit to take in order to gain an advantage e key marginal gain an adoa’nftaig’ein be? marinati in gain an ae?a’nftaeein be? marinati in other that are seats. in other words, they are willing to take fines of up to seats. in other words, they are willing to if ke fines of up to seats. in other words, they are willing to if that 1es of up to seats. in other words, they are willing to if that can of up to seats. in other words, they are willing to if that can enable» seats. in other words, they are willing to if that can enable them to flofifioifthattanenebtethenrte round the expenses rules an advantage in key- it secure an advantage in key seats. il not inconsequential - the commission is of of claims misreported. 0n

misreported. on 81 were these are sums of and significant sums of money and the electoral commission are now raising it. rita is in the bbc newsroom with a summary of the day's fiewae .. and geert wilders‘ anti—immigrant freedom party. that's the verdict of the dutch prime minister, mark rutte, whose party is on course mr wilders. whose pactyiooks insists "the patriotic spring" will still happen. greg dawson reports. wearing a smile that confirgs g'. term as prime minister.