John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-14.

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what provision the Electoral Commission has made to ensure that there is no inappropriate election spending on the EU referendum during the 2016 May elections.

Mr Gary Streeter

Political parties and non-party campaigners intending to spend money on campaigning at the elections taking place across the UK in May 2016 must adhere to spending limits set out in law during the regulated period for these polls. The Commission will provide advice and guidance throughout this period so that campaigners are aware that any spending on EU referendum related campaign activity that would be caught by the rules during the regulated period for the May 2016 polls are properly accounted for.

The rules on campaign spending for the EU referendum are not currently in force as the government has yet to make the regulations that specify when they will apply. Should the regulated period for the EU referendum overlap with that for the May 2016 polls, we will ensure that our guidance clearly sets out the rules that must be followed to comply with both regimes. All of the Commission’s guidance is published on its website when it is complete.

The Commission is monitoring the campaigning activities of political parties, non-party campaigners and potential EU referendum campaigners so that it can identify any emerging issues and offer advice and guidance to those it regulates or, if necessary and appropriate, use its enforcement and sanctioning powers where the rules are not followed.