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Introduction to registering a political party - PDF
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1 Introduction Introduction to registering a political party This document is for people who are thinking of setting up a political party and want to know where to start. Contents: Introduction to the Commission The registers of political parties Offical roles within a party Registering a party
3 2 Introduction to registering a political party Who this document is for: People who are thinking about setting up a political party The document covers: Introduction to the Electoral Commission The registers of political parties Official roles within a party or group Who can register with us The structure of your party Chooseing a party name, description and emblem Financial reporting requirements and responsibilities What next? Related documents Overview of party names, description and emblems Overview of maintaining a party details Process for registering a political party PEF Online: Getting started Introduction to being a party treasurer Introduction to registering a political party
4 3 Summary If you are thinking about setting up a political party, you may need to register with us. If you do, there are rules you will need to follow. This document explains why and how to register with us, outlines the basic rules you ll need to follow and tells you where to find more information. Political parties and campaigners are vital to a healthy democracy and we encourage participation If you d like help or advice at any point, please call us. We re here to help you.
5 4 The Electoral Commission The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Two of our roles are to register political parties and to regulate political funding and spending. Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), registered political parties must comply with rules on donations and spending and reporting requirements. These rules include continuous donation and loan controls, spending controls during regulated elections, annual accounts reporting and annual registration confirmation. Why register? Registration of a political party is not compulsory. Parties can promote the election of their candidates without being registered. The main benefit of registering is that your party name, description and emblem can appear on the ballot papers. We use the term identity marks when we refer to party names, descriptions and emblems. The rules for each election set out which identity marks can appear on ballot papers. You should check with your local returning officer to verify what you can and cannot use for each election. Also, once you have registered your name with us, no other party can register this name or a name that is likely to result in voters confusing it with your party. This is designed to stop voters mistaking one party for another on the ballot paper. Can I stand for election without being a member of a party? Yes, you can stand for election without being a member of a party. If you don t register with us, you can use the word Independent (and/or Annibynnol in Wales) to identify yourself on ballot papers, or have no description. Introduction to registering a political party
6 5 Parish and community council elections At parish and community council elections independent candidates can at the discretion of the Returning Officer use a description not registered with the Commission provided that the description does not exceed six words in length and cannot be confused with a registered political party. Types of political party There are two types of political party that can stand for election. These are: registered political parties minor political parties Registered political parties Registered political parties can contest all elections including parish, local authority, National Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament, Police and Crime Commissioner, UK Parliament and European Parliament elections. They can be registered as political parties on the Great Britain register, the Northern Ireland register or both. Depending on which registers they appear on, they can contest elections in Great Britain, Northern Ireland or both. Minor parties Minor parties are parties that only contest parish council elections (England) and community council elections (Wales). Minor parties are unable to contest elections in Scotland. They are only registered on the Great Britain register. There are no minor parties in Northern Ireland. Under PPERA, minor parties are not subject to the financial controls that registered political parties must comply with. They do not need to appoint a party treasurer and only have to
7 6 submit an annual registration confirmation.the information they need to submit when registering with us is much less detailed. A minor party can always apply to change its status to a registered political party at a later date if you wish for an additional fee of 150. The registers of political parties There are two registers of political parties in the UK, one for Great Britain (GB) and one for Northern Ireland (NI). We maintain both the GB and the NI registers. These registers contain the details of all political parties registered to contest elections in all or some of England, Scotland and Wales (GB register) and Northern Ireland (NI register). You should only apply to appear on both registers if you plan to stand candidates for elections in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Parties on the GB register must also indicate whether they want to contest elections in all or some of England, Scotland and Wales. Registering your party To register a party you will need to submit an application to the Commission which we will assess against the statutory tests set out in PPERA. What do I need to send to the Commission in order to register a political party? You will need to provide the following information: an application form which must contain: your proposed party name and head office address any descriptions any emblems Introduction to registering a political party
8 7 your party officer details your party s constitution your party s financial scheme a non refundable fee of 150 What officers roles are needed in a registered political party? Your party must appoint people to certain official roles. These are: a party leader a party treasurer who is responsible for your party s compliance with the financial rules a nominating officer who will authorise the use of the party s name, descriptions and emblems on ballot papers. You must have at least two people to hold these roles. If one person fills all three official roles, you must register someone as an additional officer. The treasurer and nominating officer cannot be the same person unless they are also the leader. You are not required to appoint a treasurer if you are registering a minor party. Some party officer roles are optional: campaign officer who will be responsible for your party s compliance with the financial rules for campaign expenditure instead of the treasurer. They cannot also be the treasurer. additional officers are appointed by the party primarily if the party leader is also the treasurer and nominating officer.
9 8 What officers roles are needed in a minor party? Minor parties are only required to appoint a party leader and nominating officer. You must have at least two people to hold these roles. If one person fills the two official roles, you must register someone as an additional officer. Your financial scheme You must include a financial scheme as part of your application. Your financial scheme demonstrates how your party will comply with the legal requirements of party and election finances under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). Your scheme should include procedures for: accounting records handling donations and loans maintaining your registered details with us authorising and reporting on campaign spending We produce a template scheme that you can use to create your party s own financial scheme. You do not have to use this scheme, but it includes all the relevant areas you will need to consider. Most parties operate as a single unit. However, you may wish to have party branches. These are called accounting units and each unit is responsible for their own finances. Each accounting unit must have their own treasurer and second officer. When you apply, you must tell us if you plan to have accounting units. If your party will have accounting units, our standard template scheme is not suitable. We can provide you with an alternative scheme, so please call us. Your financial scheme must reflect how the party is run and manged in relation to the above procedures. If these procedures change you may need to update your financial Introduction to registering a political party
10 9 scheme. If you update your financial scheme you must provide an updated copy to us for approval. The Party constitution As part of your application, you must send us your party s constitution. This should include a description of how your party is arranged and its governance, such as how it carries out activities. We use your constitution to check if there is anything in it which conflicts with your financial scheme under PPERA. For example, how your accounts are signed off. Your constitution should reflect how your party is run and managed. As a guide your constitution should include: : your party s aims and objectives the structure of your party for example, if you have branches how the party is run for example, the frequency of meetings and how decisions are made what officers you have and what their responsibilities are if you have membership requirements Your constitution should be kept up to date and you must provide an updated copy to us whenever you change your constitution. Choosing a party name, descriptions and emblems As part of your registration, you must choose a party name. You can also choose to register: up to 12 party descriptions up to 3 emblems You can choose to change your party name, descriptions and emblems at a later date if you wish for an additional fee of 25.
11 10 What is a description? A party description is an optional identity mark which, depending on the specific election, can either act as an alternative to the party name or be used in addition to the party name on the ballot paper. What is an emblem? A party emblem is an optional, visual, black and white representation (or logo) of a party. Your party and its candidates will be able to choose to use one of your emblems on ballot papers at all elections. What identity marks (names, descriptions and emblems) can t we register? As a guide, we cannot register an identity mark that: is the same as another registered party identity mark and already appears on the same register is likely to result in voters confusing it with another registered party contains more than six words is obscene or offensive is not in Roman Script is likely to amount to an offence if published contains certain prohibited words is likely to mislead voters as to the effect of their vote is likely to contradict or hinder instructions or guidance given for voting is, or contains an, acronym that is not well known and widely used and not spelt out You must submit your emblem in black and white. For more detail on the tests, and how we apply them, please read our guidance document Overview of names, descriptions and emblems. What will appear publicly and online on the register of political parties once you are registered? Once registered the following details will be made publicly available online: the party s name whether you are registered in Great Britain or Northern Ireland Introduction to registering a political party
12 11 date of registration if registered in Great Britain whether you intend to stand candidates in England, Scotland and Wales the party s descriptions (if any) the party s emblems (if any) the party officers names the party s head office address. As this information will be publicly available, if using your home address you may wish to consider using a PO Box or other address. Financial reporting requirements and responsibilities Registered political parties Under PPERA, registered political parties must comply with rules on donations and spending and reporting requirements. These rules include continuous donation and loan controls, spending controls during regulated elections, annual accounts reporting and annual registration renewal. These rules are to ensure the integrity and transparency of party political finance. If you don t follow them, you may be subject to fines or other enforcement action. In some cases, this can include a referral for criminal prosecution. The officers of a registered political party have significant responsibilities, so it s important that you understand these fully before you register with us. Minor parties Under PPERA, minor parties are not subject to the financial controls that registered political parties must comply with. They are only required to submit an annual registration confirmation with us.
13 12 Independent candidates Under PPERA, independent candidates have no party reporting responsibilities, but they must report their election spending and donations to the local Returning Officer after the election. Introduction to registering a political party
14 13 What next? If you have decided that you want to register your party, you are almost ready to apply. We recommend that you now read the following documents: Overview of party names, descriptions and emblems Process for registering a political party These documents will explain the rules and process of registration in more detail. You will then have all the information you need to make the correct application decisions. Where can I get further advice? You can view our full range of guidance and up-to-date resources on our website. You can contact us on the phone number below or via on the addresses below. We are here to help, so please get in touch. Call us on or (Welsh Language line). Or England: Scotland: Wales: Northern Ireland: Visit us at We welcome feedback on our guidance just us at: