East Devon MP Simon Jupp has been accused of using Richard Foord's name to re-direct traffic to his own webpage.

Three web domains, richardfoord.co.uk, richardfoord.uk and richardfoord.com all re-direct web users to the website of Conservative MP Simon Jupp. The Herald has independently verified that all three addresses do re-direct to Jupp's webpage.

I News reported that it is not known who bought the internet addresses as ownership records currently point to a web domain-buying site based in Worcestershire.

Mr Foord, has the official website address of richardfoord.org.uk. The I also said that Web domains are inexpensive to buy and easy to direct to any website as long as no one has already bought the name.

In response to this claim, Mr Jupp told the BBC he was "not responsible for the web domains in Mr Foord's name".

I news added that domain names ending in .uk can cost as little at £10 a year, with the first year coming in at less than £1. A co.uk domain will cost around the same amount and a .com address tends to be a little more expensive at around £18 a year.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission suggested the directing of the domain names to Mr Jupp’s website did not break any election law.

He 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.”

Once the web domain name is owned it is a simple process to redirect it to any other website already in existence.

Mr Foord, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton, and Mr Jupp will go head to head at the next general election for the new Honiton and Sidmouth constituency. 

Richard Foord won a by-election in June 2022 with a majority of 6,144 (14 per cent) for the Lib Dems, having overturned a 24,000 majority gained by former tory MP Neil Parish in 2019.

A spokesperson for Mr Foord 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.”

A recent YouGov poll predicted that at the next general election, Devon will remain mainly blue, with the Conservatives expected to hold the new Honiton & Sidmouth constituency. The current Tory MP for East Devon, Simon Jupp, will be up against the current Tiverton & Honiton Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord for this seat. The YouGov poll predicts that the Conservatives will win 33 per cent of the vote, the Lib Dems 25 per cent. 

Conservative wins are also predicted in the two neighbouring constituencies newly created by boundary changes -  Exmouth & Exeter East and Tiverton & Minehead. However Exeter, a strong Labour seat, remains a pinpoint of red in the Tory-blue map, and Labour is expected to take Plymouth Moor View from the Conservatives.