ELECTORAL COMMISSION PLANS UNACCEPTABLE.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION PLANS UNACCEPTABLE.

LONDON PARTIES THREATEN 'IMPARTIALITY' OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION

The SNP has attacked plans to give the 'big three' London political parties a role in the running of the Electoral Commission. Pete Wishart MP says the plans threaten the Commission's status as an independent regulator, and will undermine its legitimacy as a UK-wide body by excluding smaller parties running elections in devolved administrations.

Speaking ahead of a crucial debate on the composition of the Electoral Commission, Mr Wishart, the SNP’s constitution spokesperson will say that plans to exclude the SNP from the commission is unacceptable.

The House of Commons will debate and vote on the composition of the commission including proposals for political commissioners to be nominated from political parties. The current proposal is that Labour, the Conservatives and Liberals will have a political commissioner and one will be given to the other “minority” parties.

Mr Wishart said:
“The proposals for the nomination of political commissioners is totally unacceptable to the SNP, and threaten the Commission's status as an independent regulator
”If this passes we will have a situation where the electoral commission will consider election issues in Scotland, while Scotland’s party of government will be excluded. That cannot be right or fair.

“The Government of course have spectacularly failed to recognise the reality of the new multi-legislature, multi-party situation that now operates in the UK. Throughout the UK there are seven parties either in power or sharing power, the composition of the Electoral Commission should reflect that, and parties in power must have a representative on the electoral commission.

“I will be presenting an amendment that will allow every party with more than 15 parliamentarians from whatever parliament or assembly in the UK to be given a political commissioner.

“This will cover all parties in power and ensure that there are political commissioners from the Governments of all parliaments and assemblies.”