1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1989 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

(2) Articles 4, 5 and 6 of this Order do not extend to Northern Ireland.

(3) In this Order “the Act of 1983” means the Representation of the People Act 1983.

2.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at a parliamentary election in a county constituency shall be varied by substituting, for tile words “£3,370” and “3.8p” in section 76(2)(a)(i) of the Act of 1983(2), the words “£3,648” and “4.1p”, respectively.

3.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at a parliamentary election in a borough constituency shall be varied by substituting, for the words “£3,370” and “2.9p” in section 76(2)(a)(ii) of the Act of 1983(2), the words “£3,648” and “3.1p”, respectively.

4.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at a local government election to which section 76(2)(b)(ii) of the Act of 1983(2) applies shall be varied by substituting, for the words “£150” and “3p” in that provision, the words “£162” and “3.2p”, respectively.

5.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at a ward election in the City of London shall be varied by substituting for the words “£150” and “3p” in section 197(1) of the Act of 1983(3), the words “£162” and “3.2p”, respectively.

6.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at an election by liverymen in common hall shall be varied by substituting, for the words “15.8p” in section 197(2) of the Act of 1983(4), the words “17.1p”.

7.  Articles 2, 3, 5 6 and 7 of the Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1987(5) shall cease to have effect.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order increases the maximum amounts of candidates' election expenses at parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom (articles 2 and 3), local government elections in Great Britain (article 4) and ward elections (article 5) and elections by liverymen in common hall (article 6) in the City of London.

The increases are such as are justified by the change in the value of money since the last occasion on which those maximum amounts were fixed. The last occasion was 13th May 1987 when the Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1987 was made.

Except in the case of the election by liverymen in common hall, the maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses is made up of a fixed sum (expressed in pounds) plus a sum expressed in pence (and fractions of pence) for, in the case of parliamentary and local government elections, each entry in the register of electors or, in the case of ward elections in the City of London, each elector. The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at the election by liverymen in common hall is calculated by allowing an amount in pence (and fractions of pence) for every elector on the common hall register to be used at the election.