Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

24 Office-holders to be registered. U.K.

(1) For each registered party there shall be—

(a) a person registered as the party’s leader;

(b) a person registered as the party’s nominating officer; and

(c) a person registered as the party’s treasurer;

but the person registered as leader may also be registered as nominating officer or treasurer (or both).

(2) The person registered as a party’s leader must be—

(a) the overall leader of the party; or

(b) where there is no overall leader of the party, a person who is the leader of the party for some particular purpose.

(3) The person registered as a party’s nominating officer must have responsibility for the arrangements for—

(a) the submission by representatives of the party of lists of candidates for the purpose of elections;

(b) the issuing of such certificates as are mentioned in section 22(6); and

(c) the approval of descriptions and emblems used on nomination and ballot papers at elections.

(4) The person registered as a party’s treasurer shall be responsible for compliance on the part of the party—

[F1 (a) with the provisions of Parts 3, 4 and 4A (accounting requirements and control of donations, loans and certain other transactions)]

(b) unless a person is registered as the party’s campaigns officer in accordance with section 25, with the provisions of Parts V to VII (campaign expenditure, third party expenditure and referendums) [F2 and Schedules 3 to 5 to the Recall of MPs Act 2015 (financial controls on recall petitions)] as well.

(5) In the case of a party with accounting units the person registered as the party’s treasurer shall, in relation to the provisions of Part III, be responsible for compliance on the part of the party’s central organisation (rather than of the party).

(6) Where—

(a) the person registered as a party’s treasurer dies, or

(b) his appointment as treasurer terminates for any other reason,

then, until such time as another person is registered as the party’s treasurer in pursuance of an application under section 31(3)(a), the appropriate person shall be treated for all purposes of this Act (except subsection (8)) as if he were registered also as its treasurer.

(7) In subsection (6) “the appropriate person” means—

(a) the person registered as the party’s leader; or

(b) if that person is also registered as its treasurer but not as its nominating officer, the person registered as its nominating officer; or

(c) if that person is also registered both as its treasurer and as its nominating officer, any other officer of the party registered in accordance with Schedule 4.

(8) A person commits an offence if—

(a) he is registered as treasurer of a registered party, and

(b) he has been convicted, at any time within the period of five years ending with the date of registration, of any offence under this Act or of any other offence committed in connection with a relevant election F3 ... [F4 , a] referendum within the meaning of Part VII [F5 or a recall petition within the meaning of the Recall of MPs Act 2015 (see section 1(2) of that Act)] .

(9) Where a person registered as treasurer of a registered party is convicted of an offence falling within subsection (8)(b), his appointment as treasurer of the party shall terminate on the date of the conviction.

(10) In connection with the registration of a party in both the Great Britain register and the Northern Ireland register in accordance with section 23(4)—

(a) a person may be registered in the Northern Ireland register as leader of the separate party registered in that register if (although not such a leader of the party as is mentioned in subsection (2) above) he is leader of the party in Northern Ireland; and

(b) references to a person’s responsibilities in subsection (3) or (4) above shall be read as references to the responsibilities that he will have with respect to the separate party registered in the Great Britain register or the Northern Ireland register, as appropriate.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 24(4)(a) substituted (11.9.2006 for E.W.S. for certain purposes, 1.7.2008 for N.I. and otherwise prosp.) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 74(1), 77(2), Sch. 1 para. 140; S.I. 2006/1972, art. 3, Sch. 1 paras. 24, 25(m)(ii) (subject to art. 4, Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2006/2268, art. 4); S.I. 2008/1656, art. 2 (subject to art. 3, Sch. 1)

F2 Words in s. 24(4)(b) inserted (4.3.2016) by Recall of MPs Act 2015 (c. 25), s. 24(3), Sch. 6 para. 4(2)(a); S.I. 2016/290, reg. 2

F3 Words in s. 24(8)(b) repealed (31.12.2020) by The European Parliamentary Elections Etc. (Repeal, Revocation, Amendment and Saving Provisions) (United Kingdom and Gibraltar) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1310), reg. 1, Sch. 1 Pt. 1 (as amended by S.I. 2019/1389, regs. 1, 2(2))

F4 Word in s. 24(8)(b) substituted (4.3.2016) by Recall of MPs Act 2015 (c. 25), s. 24(3), Sch. 6 para. 4(2)(b); S.I. 2016/290, reg. 2

F5 Words in s. 24(8)(b) inserted (4.3.2016) by Recall of MPs Act 2015 (c. 25), s. 24(3), Sch. 6 para. 4(2)(b); S.I. 2016/290, reg. 2

Commencement Information

I1 S. 24 wholly in force at 16.2.2001; s. 24 not in force at Royal Assent and in force for specified purposes at 14.12.2000, see s. 163(2)(4); s. 24 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)