53.—(1) No person may, with intent to influence persons to give or refrain from giving their votes at a PCC election, include, or aid, abet, counsel or procure the inclusion of, any matter relating to the election in any programmes service (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990 M1) provided from a place outside the United Kingdom otherwise than in pursuance of arrangements made with—
(a)the British Broadcasting Corporation,
(b)Sianel Pedwar Cymru, or
(c)the holder of any licence granted by the Office of Communications,
for the reception and re-transmission of that matter by that body or the holder of that licence.
(2) An offence under this article is an illegal practice, but the court before which a person is convicted of an offence under this article may, if it thinks it just in the special circumstances of the case, mitigate or entirely remit any incapacity imposed by virtue of section 173 of the 1983 Act read with article 77) (incapacities on conviction of corrupt or illegal practices).
(3) Where any act or omission of an association or body of persons, corporate or unincorporate, is an illegal practice under this article, any person (“P”) who at the time of the act or omission was a director, general manager, secretary or other similar officer of the association or body, or was purporting to act in any such capacity, is deemed to be guilty of the illegal practice, unless P proves—
(a)that the act or omission took place without P's consent or connivance, and
(b)that P exercised all such diligence to prevent the commission of the illegal practice as P ought to have exercised having regard to the nature of P's functions in that capacity and to all the circumstances.