The Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1991

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order increases the maximum amounts of candidates' electionexpenses at parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom (articles 2 to5), local government elections in Great Britain (article 6) and wardelections (article 7) and elections by liverymen in common hall (article8) in the City of London.

The increases are such as are justified by the change in the valueof money since the last occasion on which those maximum amounts werefixed. Except in the case of the increases made by articles 4 and 5, thelast occasion was 10th April 1989 when the Representation of the People(Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1989 wasmade. Articles 4 and 5 concern maximum amounts which are fixed by theprovision inserted into the Representation of the People Act 1983 bysection 6(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act 1989. Undersection 6(2) of the latter Act, those amounts are to be taken to havebeen fixed on 10th April 1989.

Except in the case of the election by liverymen in common hall, themaximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses is made up of a fixedsum (expressed in pounds) plus a sum expressed in pence (and fractionsof pence) for, in the case of parliamentary and local governmentelections, each entry in the register of electors or, in the case ofward elections in the City of London, each elector. The maximum amountof a candidate’s election expenses at the election by liverymen incommon hall is calculated by allowing an amount in pence (and fractionsof pence) for every elector on the common hall register to be used atthe election.