Current campaign spending rules only cover the ‘regulated period’ before an election. It’s time to change that, argues Bob Posner.
The current system
Since the UK’s rules on political finance were introduced 25 years ago, the scale and nature of political campaigning have markedly changed. The controls have been largely successful, but
the existing laws were directed to another time in politics. A political culture of self-restraint and trust that perhaps then existed, does not
apply today.
We have seen significant funding come into politics, the international nature of some individuals and businesses, technological change including social media, and the emergence of non-party actors. The major parties are now well-funded organisations, with
professional systems, staff and advisors undertaking sophisticated and targeted campaigns to win votes.
Change is needed
In a robust democracy, why does UK political finance law still only require transparency of campaign expenditure by political parties for a few months in most years?
The major political parties and other campaigners now spend money on campaigning throughout the year – for instance printing campaign literature, doing mailings and carrying out online advertising. There are no limits on or transparency about this spending.
That means the rules on campaign spending are not working as intended, and in the interests of fairness and choice for voters, the concept of regulated periods is no longer appropriate.
Click on the image below to read Bob’s short paper in full.
