Section 76 Limitation of election expenses.F1 E1 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9

England and Wales

(F21)

The election expenses incurred by or on behalf of a candidate at an election must not in the aggregate exceed the maximum amount specified in subsection (2) below or, in the case of any of the Authority elections mentioned in subsection (2A)(a) to (c) below, the maximum amount prescribed by order under that subsection.

(F31A)

Where a registered political party submits a list of candidates to be London members of the London Assembly at an ordinary election, F4any election expenses incurred by or on behalf of any of those candidates must not in the aggregate exceed the maximum amount prescribed by order under subsection (2A)(d).

(F51B)

Where any election expenses are incurred in excess of a maximum amount specified in subsection (2) F6below or prescribed by order under subsection (2A) below, any candidate or election agent who—

(a)

incurred, or authorised the incurring of, the election expenses, and

(b)

knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenses would be incurred in excess of that maximum amount,

shall be guilty of an illegal practice.

(2)

That maximum amount is—

(a)

for a candidate at a F7parliamentary general election, being an election—

(i)

in a county constituency, F8£11,390 together with an additional F912p for every entry in the register of electors F10. . . and

(ii)

in a borough constituency, F11£11,390 together with an additional F128p for every entry in the register of electors F13. . .

(F14aa)

for a candidate at a parliamentary by-election, F15£180,050;

(b)

for a candidate at a local government election F16other than an Authority election—

F17(i)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F18(ia)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(F19ib)

at a local government election in England, F20£960 together with an additional F218p for every entry in the register of electors;

(F22ic)

at a local government election in Wales, £806 together with an additional 7p for every entry in the register of electors;

(ii)

at any other local government election, F23£740 together with an additional F246p for every entry in the register of electors . . ..

C10(F252A)

As respects Authority elections, each of the following, that is to say—

(a)

the maximum amount for a candidate in an election of the Mayor of London,

(b)

the maximum amount for a candidate in an election of a constituency member of the London Assembly,

(c)

the maximum amount for an individual candidate in an election of the London members of the London Assembly at an ordinary election,

(d)

the maximum amount for the purposes of subsection (1A) above,

shall be such as the Secretary of State may prescribe in an order made by statutory instrument.

(2B)

An order under subsection (2A) above shall not be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

F26(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(F274)

In subsection (2) above “the register of electors” means the register of parliamentary electors, or (as the case may be) local government electors, for the constituency or electoral area in question as it has effect on the last day for publication of notice of the election.

(5)

The maximum amount mentioned above for a candidate at a parliamentary election F28or an Authority election (including the maximum amount for the purposes of subsection (1A) above) F29or a local government election in England or Wales is not required to cover the candidate’s personal expenses.

(6)

Where at an election a poll is countermanded or abandoned by reason of a candidate’s death, the maximum amount of election expenses shall, for any of the other candidates who then remain validly nominated, be twice or, if there has been a previous increase under this subsection, three times what it would have been but for any increase under this subsection; but the maximum amount shall not be affected for any candidate by the change in the timing of the election or of any step in the proceedings at the election.