30th November 2000
146.The registered treasurer of a party is responsible for accounting for the party’s campaign expenditure, and he therefore performs a function similar to that of a candidate’s election agent under the Representation of the People Act 1983. In the same way as an election agent may, in a county constituency, delegate his functions to a deputy election agent, section 74 provides for the appointment of up to twelve deputy treasurers. Such number would enable a Great Britain-wide party to appoint a deputy to cover each of Scotland, Wales, and the nine English regions, although whether the remit of the deputy is confined to a particular geographical area is a matter for the registered treasurer. A treasurer must notify the Commission when a deputy treasurer dies or his appointment is otherwise terminated or when there is a change of address (subsections (6) and (7)). The names of any deputy treasurers and the addresses of their offices are to be included in a party’s entry in the register of political parties (subsection (8)).