The Greater London Authority Elections (Amendment) Rules 2019

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules amend the Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2007 (S.I. 2007/3541) (“the 2007 Rules”). Specifically they amend the Constituency Members Election Rules in Schedules 1 and 5 (“the CMER”), the London Members Election Rules in Schedules 2 and 6 (“the LMER”), and the Mayoral Election Rules in Schedules 3 and 7 (“the Mayoral Rules”), to the 2007 Rules, which all make provision in connection with the conduct of elections for the Greater London Authority (“the GLA”). The amendments made by these Rules will apply in relation to elections to the GLA in respect of which the date of the poll stated in the notice of election is on or after 7th May 2020.

Rule 6 of the CMER requires a candidate standing for election as a constituency member of the GLA to be nominated by completing a nomination paper which includes the candidate’s home address. That home address will then be published both in the statement of persons who have been nominated and on the ballot paper for the election.

Rule 3(3) of these Rules amends rule 6 of the CMER to remove the requirement for a candidate to provide a home address in the nomination paper. Instead a candidate will be required to provide this in a new form known as the “home address form”. The requirement to provide a qualifying address in the consent to nomination form is removed by rule 3(4) of these Rules and the qualifying address will also be provided in the home address form (see new paragraphs (9A) to (9E) of rule 6 of the CMER (as inserted by rule 3(3)(b) of these Rules)).

Rules 4(3) to (5) and 7(3) of these Rules make corresponding amendments to the LMER and to the Mayoral Rules respectively.

A candidate may state on the home address form that they do not want their home address to be made public. If a candidate does so then they must also state the area in which their home address is situated and it is this, rather than the home address, which will appear in the statement of person nominated (see new paragraph (2A) of rule 10 of the CMER (as inserted by rule 3(6) of these Rules)).

Rules 4(5) and (7) and 7(3) and (6) of these Rules make corresponding amendments to the LMER and to the Mayoral Rules respectively.

Rule 3(4) of these Rules amends rule 7 of the CMER to remove the requirement for the home address of the person who witnesses the candidate’s consent to nomination to be provided on the consent to nomination form. Instead, the witness’s home address will be included on the home address form (see new paragraph (9A)(c) of rule 6 of the CMER (as inserted by rule 3(3) of these Rules)).

Rules 4(6) and 7(4) of these Rules make corresponding amendments to the LMER and to the Mayoral Rules respectively

Rule 8 of these Rules inserts a new rule 12A into the CMER which makes provision about inspection of home address forms.

Rules 4(9) and 7(8) of these Rules make corresponding amendments to the LMER and the Mayoral Rules respectively. Additionally, in the case of the LMER, provision is made allowing the nominating officer of a registered party, or a person nominated by that nominating officer, to inspect the home address form of a candidate. The Mayoral Rules are also amended to provide that up to two nominated subscribers of a mayoral candidate may inspect the home address form of a candidate in that election.

Rule 3(9) of these Rules inserts a new rule 59A into the CMER to provide for the destruction of the home address forms. Rules 4(10) and 7(9) make corresponding amendments to the LMER and to the Mayoral rules respectively.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.