The government has published guidance on non-party campaigning.
Yesterday, the code of practice on non-party campaigning was laid before parliament after the secretary of state approved the draft, prepared by the Electoral Commission.
The Electoral Commission first published its draft in April following a consultation that received significant engagement from charities and other campaigners.
Suhan Rajkumar, senior associate at Bates Wells, said that the code as laid before parliament remains “largely unchanged from the earlier draft”.
The code covers the new “lower-tier notification threshold”, which was introduced by the Elections Act 2022 and came into force on 24 November 2022.
It states that charities that intend to spend over £10,000 on regulated campaign activity across the UK must register with the Electoral Commission as lower-tier campaigners.
It also highlights the pre-existing “reporting thresholds” whereby registered non-party campaigners that spend over £20,000 on regulated campaign activity in England and over £10,000 in any of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must record their spending and donations.
Rajkumar added that it is “reassuring” to see that the code is “largely unchanged from the earlier draft”.
“We’re also expecting additional non-statutory guidance from the Electoral Commission later this year, and it will be important for the sector to engage proactively with any drafts.”
Editor’s note: This article was amended to reflect the fact that the guidance covers existing law.
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