The Local Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2002

Nomination of candidates and nomination papers

6.—(1) Each candidate shall be nominated by a separate nomination paper.

(2) A nomination paper shall be in the appropriate form and shall be delivered at the place fixed for the purpose by the returning officer, which shall be at the offices of the council of the county, county borough, district or London borough in which the electoral area wholly or mainly lies.

(3) A nomination paper shall state the candidate's—

(a) full names,

(b) home address, in full, and

(c) if desired, description,

and the surname shall be placed first in the list of names.

(4) The description, if any, which may not comprise more than six words, must consist of either—

(a) that authorised as mentioned in paragraph (5); or

(b) the word “Independent”.

(5) A nomination paper may not include a description of a candidate that is likely to lead voters to associate the candidate with a registered political party unless—

(a) the party is a qualifying party in relation to the electoral area; and

(b) the description is authorised by a certificate—

(i) issued by or on behalf of the registered nominating officer of the party, and

(ii) received by the returning officer before the last time for the delivery of nomination papers.

(6) A person shall be guilty of a corrupt practice if he fraudulently purports to be authorised to issue a certificate under paragraph (5) on behalf of a registered political party’s nominating officer.

(7) In this rule, “registered political party” means a party which was registered under Part II (registration of political parties) of the PPER Act at the time by which the notice of election is required to be published by virtue of rule 1 (“the relevant time”); and a registered political party is a qualifying party in relation to an electoral area if, at the relevant time, it was registered in respect of England or Wales in the Great Britain register maintained under that Part.