Written evidence to be reported to the House
Political Parties and Elections Bill
12:00 pm
Peter Wardle: As Sir Nicholas noted, I was being invited to give an interpretation of the law. I carefully sought to avoid doing that. What I said was that there is more than one interpretation. I heard what the Secretary of State said, and it seemed clear to me, but some people are unpersuaded and there are one or two issues. The one that Mr. Reid raised about contracts entered into but not discharged—the standard period—may be one on which it would be helpful to have the position clarified. It is a transition issue, and when something is introduced you sometimes need transitional measures, perhaps simply to put something beyond doubt rather than to change something in the original Bill.