Political Parties: Expenditure Limits - Question

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 1:30 pm on 22 February 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Lord Rennard Lord Rennard Liberal Democrat 1:30, 22 February 2021

The Minister knows that this Question does not relate to candidate spending or to local election spending. It relates specifically to national election spending. Perhaps I can help him. The figure for inflation since 2000 is approximately 69%. The figures published by the Electoral Commission show that increasing national party expenditure limits would benefit only the Conservative Party across Great Britain. Taking these together with other proposals under consideration, but not widely known, to allow national party spending to be targeted more easily at marginal constituencies, are the Government not now ending any concept of the level playing field in elections?