Clause 7
Political Parties and Elections Bill
12:45 pm
David Howarth (Shadow Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice; Cambridge, Liberal Democrat)
The Electoral Commission has raised a point on clause 7 that members of the Committee have not really been in a position to put forward in an amendment, but on which I would like the Government to put their position on the record. Is it a good idea to reduce from 10 years to five years the period of restrictions on political activities for non-political commissioners? The Electoral Commission’s view seems to be that, although it is not particularly in favour of political commissioners, if there are to be political commissioners, there must be a very clear distinction between the political and non-political ones. I would like the Government to put on record their reply to the Electoral Commission’s point.