Recommendation 14

The Government should commit to reviewing the impact of the lower tier of registration for third party campaigners as part of its statutory review of the Elections Act 2022, due in four to five years› time, to be published and laid before Parliament. Any future reform to the regulatory powers of the Electoral Commission by the Government should consider the potential impact of deterring political engagement. We agree with the recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life that the reporting timelines for parties and campaigners spending over £250,000 should be reduced from six to four months and that the Electoral Commission should publish returns within two months of receipt. However, these timeframes should be kept under review with regular feedback from parties and campaigners. Additionally, it is important that transparency goes both ways and, therefore, the Electoral Commission should ensure it communicates on its website any expected delays in this timeline.