Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

131 Election expenses incurred otherwise than by candidate. U.K.

(1) Section 75 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (no election expenses to be incurred by persons other than candidate, election agent or persons authorised by him) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)(ii) (exception for expenses not exceeding £5 in aggregate incurred by individual backer or disparager), for “not exceeding in the aggregate the sum of £5 which may be incurred by an individual and are not incurred in pursuance of a plan suggested by or concerted with others,” there shall be substituted “ incurred by any person which do not exceed in the aggregate the permitted sum (and are not incurred by that person as part of a concerted plan of action), ”.

(3) After subsection (1) there shall be inserted—

“(1ZA) For the purposes of subsection (1)(ii) above, “the permitted sum” means—

(a) in respect of a candidate at a parliamentary election, £500;

(b) in respect of a candidate at a local government election, £50 together with an additional 0.5p for every entry in the register of local government electors for the electoral area in question as it has effect on the last day for publication of notice of the election;

and expenses shall be regarded as incurred by a person “as part of a concerted plan of action” if they are incurred by that person in pursuance of any plan or other arrangement whereby that person and one or more other persons are to incur, with a view to promoting or procuring the election of the same candidate, expenses which (disregarding subsection (1)(ii)) fall within subsection (1) above.”

(4) At the end of subsection (1A) there shall be added “; and in the application of subsection (1ZA) above in relation to such an election the reference to the same candidate includes a reference to all or any of the candidates of the same registered political party.”

(5) Subsections (1B) and (1C) (special provision for Greater London Authority elections) shall be omitted.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 131 wholly in force at 16.2.2001; s. 131 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 163(2); s. 131 in force at 16.2.2001 by S.I. 2001/222, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. I (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 Pt. II)