Overview

This bill aims to increase transparency in political advertising during elections and referendums in the UK. It requires advertisers to submit details of their election and referendum advertisements to the electoral commission within 24 hours of publication, and mandates clearer attribution of campaign spending.

Description

The bill amends the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Key changes include:

• New requirement for reporting political advertisements: Advertisers must submit copies of advertisements, distribution details, targeting information (if used), and any other information requested by the Electoral Commission within 24 hours of publication. The Commission will then make this information public.
• Clarification of campaign spending attribution: The Secretary of State will create regulations determining when advertising should be counted as campaign or election expenses, particularly focusing on the geographic reach of advertising relative to a candidate’s constituency. The Commission will be consulted in this process, except when implementing the Commission’s own recommendations.
• Changes to information requirements on election and referendum materials: The bill makes it mandatory (rather than optional) to include certain details on election and referendum materials. It also allows the use of hyperlinks to webpages to fulfil these requirements.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify an increase or decrease in government spending. The costs will be associated with the Electoral Commission's increased workload in processing and publishing the advertising information, and enforcement. No figures are provided in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

• Political Parties: Will be subject to stricter reporting requirements for their advertising.
• Advertisers: Including political parties, campaign groups, and individuals, will need to comply with the new reporting regulations.
• Electoral Commission: Will have an increased workload related to processing and publishing information, potentially requiring more resources.
• Voters: Will have greater access to information regarding political advertising, which can improve transparency and accountability.

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