Attendance at allocation of seats
53.—(1) The returning officer shall make arrangements for making the calculation and allocation required by rule 54.
(2) No person other than—
(a)the returning officer and his clerks,
(b)the election agent of each registered party standing at the election or a person acting on his behalf,
(c)each candidate on the list of such a party and—
(i)in England and Wales, the candidate’s spouse or;
(ii)in Scotland, one guest each,
(d)the election agent of each individual candidate or a person acting on his behalf,
(e)each individual candidate and—
(i)in England and Wales, his spouse or;
(ii)in Scotland, one guest each,
(f)representatives of the Electoral Commission,
may be present at that calculation and allocation unless permitted by the returning officer to attend.
(3) The returning officer shall give to—
(a)the election agent of each registered party standing at the election, and
(b)each individual candidate,
notice in writing of the place at which he will conduct the proceedings under rule 54 and of the time after which he will begin those proceedings.