Clause 29 - Meaning of election expenses for purposes of the 1983 Act
Electoral Administration Bill
9:00 am
David Heath (Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs & Shadow Leader of the House, Law Officers (Constitutional Affairs); Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
Perhaps not very far from Mumbai or Bangalore.
I assure members of the Committee that someone ringing constituents from a long way away and telling them which way to vote would not have the desired effect on them.
Some abuses will almost certainly not be caught, but a letter to a constituent saying, ''Candidate X is appalling because he has done this, this and this, which I know because I am a leader of Y party,'' is surely part of the election campaign. It is absurd to pretend that it is not. My amendment would simply tie down that particular abuse. It would not stop letters from party leaders being delivered to people's doors; it simply says that a letter sent in those circumstances should be included in the return.
In effect, the amendment says, ''You know perfectly well that it is happening, Mr. Agent, so do not pretend that you do not. You know perfectly well that it is going to the electors in your area, so do not pretend that it is not. So include it in the election expenses and let it count against the total allowable expenses for that constituency.'' That is the sole import of my amendment, which I hope commends itself to the Committee.