MP's misleading website links 'arouse suspicion'

Simon Jupp, East Devon Conservative MP, will stand in the new constituency of Honiton and Sidmouth.

Questions are being asked of a Conservative MP over people being redirected to his website.

Two MPs in Devon, Conservative Simon Jupp and Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat, will go head to head in the general election in a new constituency.

It emerged anyone typing in RichardFoord.uk, RichardFoord.co.uk or RichardFoord.com would be redirected to Mr Jupp's site.

Mr Jupp told the BBC he was "not responsible for the web domains".

Richard Foord is currently MP for Tiverton and Honiton

Mr Foord, MP for Honiton and Tiverton, said: "When we talk to people across Mid and East Devon, they tell us they want their representatives to play it straight and be honest.

"Links that look genuine but simply redirect to Conservative websites only serve to arouse suspicion and undermine trust.

"People deserve better from their MP, and at the election they have a chance to demand better by voting Liberal Democrat."

Mr Jupp is currently the MP for East Devon but will be the Conservative candidate standing against Mr Foord in a new constituency of Honiton and Sidmouth introduced due to boundary changes.

He told the BBC he was "not responsible for the web domains in Mr Foord's name" which link to his own website.

The Electoral Commission said it would not be looking into what had happened.

A spokesperson said: "There is nothing in electoral law concerning the use of website domain names by candidates.

"The content of campaign material does not fall within our regulatory remit so it wouldn't be for us to investigate."