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Political Parties and Elections Act 2009

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Summary and Background

  3. Territorial Extent and Application

  4. Commentary on Sections

    1. Part 1: the Electoral Commission

      1. Section 1: Compliance with controls imposed by the 2000 Act etc

      2. Section 2: Investigatory powers of the Commission

      3. Section 3: Civil sanctions

      4. Section 4: Selection of prospective Electoral Commissioners and Commission chairman

      5. Section 5: Four Electoral Commissioners to be put forward by parties

      6. Section 6: Number of Electoral Commissioners

      7. Section 7: Political restrictions on Electoral Commissioners and staff

      8. Section 8: Education about systems of Government and EU institutions

    2. Part 2: Political Donations Etc and Expenditure

      1. Section 9: Declaration as to source of donation

      2. Section 10: Non-resident donors etc

      3. Section 11: Non-resident lenders etc

      4. Section 12: Defence to charge of failing to return donation from impermissible donor

      5. Section 13: “Reasonable excuse” in relation to certain offences under the 2000 Act

      6. Section 14: Control of donations to members associations: responsible persons

      7. Section 15: Control of donations to holders of elective office: compliance officers

      8. Section 16: Control of loans etc to members associations: responsible persons

      9. Section 17: Control of loans etc to holders of elective office: compliance officers

      10. Section 18: Person may not be “responsible person” for more than one third party

      11. Section 19: Reports of gifts received by unincorporated associations making political contributions

      12. Section 20: Increased thresholds in relation to donations etc

      13. Section 21: Limitation of pre-candidacy election expenses for certain general elections

      14. Section 22: Election expenses: guidance by Commission

    3. Part 3: Elections

      1. Section 23: Election falling within canvass period

      2. Section 24: Candidate at parliamentary election may withhold home address from publication

      3. Section 25: Disposal of election documents in Scotland

      4. Section 26: Filling vacant European Parliament seats in Northern Ireland

      5. Section 27: Returning Officers for elections to the European Parliament

    4. Part 4: Electoral Registration

      1. Section 28: Establishment of corporation sole to be CORE keeper

      2. Section 29: Use of CORE information

      3. Section 30: Voluntary provision of identifying information

      4. Section 31: Regulations amending or supplementing section 30

      5. Section 32: Report by Electoral Commission on provision of identifying information

      6. Section 33: Obligatory provision of identifying information

      7. Section 34: Provision supplementing section 33

      8. Section 35: Schemes for provision of data to registration officers

      9. Section 36: Schemes under section 35: proposals, consultation and evaluation

      10. Section 37: Meaning of expressions relating to registration

    5. Part 5: General

      1. Section 38: Meaning of “the 1983 Act” and “the 2000 Act”

      2. Section 39: Amendments and repeals

      3. Section 40: Transitional provision

      4. Section 41: Money

      5. Section 42: Extent

      6. Section 43: Commencement

      7. Section 44: Short title

    6. Schedule 1: Investigatory powers of the Commission: Schedule to be inserted into the 2000 Act

    7. Schedule 2: Civil sanctions: Schedule to be inserted into the 2000 Act

      1. Part 1: Fixed monetary penalties

      2. Part 2: Discretionary requirements

      3. Part 3: Stop notices

      4. Part 4: Enforcement undertakings

      5. Part 5: Power to make supplementary provision etc by order

      6. Part 6: General and supplemental

      7. Part 7: Interpretation

    8. Schedule 3: Declaration as to source of donation

    9. Schedule 4: Declaration as to whether residence etc condition satisfied

    10. Schedule 5: Reports of gifts received by unincorporated associations making political contributions: Schedule to be inserted into the 2000 Act

    11. Schedule 6: Minor and consequential amendments and Schedule 7: Repeals

  5. Commencement Dates

  6. Hansard References

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

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