Tag Archives: electoral commission

The Press Association reports:

One of the Liberal Democrats’ biggest donors is due to stand trial accused of fraud. Michael Brown, 42, who gave £2.4m to the party in the run-up to the 2005 General Election, faces 16 offences.

Apart from fraud-related allegations, the Glasgow-born businessman is charged with money laundering, theft and perverting the course of justice. The case will be heard at London’s Southwark Crown Court.

As Lib Dem Voice never tires of reminding readers – to even up the fact that the rest of the media can’t be bothered to report all the facts – this was the verdict …

Two sad news stories today which will attract very little media coverage but which speak volumes about the declining integrity of democracy in the UK.

1. The entirely expected merging of the 2009 Euro elections and English local elections on a single date.

The BBC reports:

The government is to press ahead with plans to hold the 2009 English local and European elections on the same day. The change, which must be approved by both houses of Parliament by 7 November if it is to take place, would see both polls take place on 4 June.

Martin Land launched a broadside against …

The Electoral Commission this week published the latest donation and borrowing figures for the political parties this week – LDV’s own Mark Pack has already blogged about the innumerate ways in which these were interpreted both by the Commission’s own press release, and then by the news media.

The Commission’s website does allow us, though, to gain a picture of the Lib Dems’ fundraising efforts over the years. Below, for a bit of fun, is the full breakdown of cash and non-cash donations received by quarter since 2005, and annually between 2001 and 2004.

What the figures suggest is that the party’s efforts have stepped up a level during this time. Rather astonishingly, in 2001 – the year of a general election – the party raised less than half the total it achieved in 2006, our annus horribilis.

But, since 2004 – and most notably in 2005, with that Michael Brown donation – the party’s annual donations have never dipped below £2m. 2008 looks like continuing that relatively impressive track record.

I say relatively because the equivalent 2008 figures for the Tories to date total £9.85m, with £6.80m for the Labour party. Looked at like that – and given the old-school media’s two-party bias – it is actually pretty extraordinary how well above its weight the party manages to punch.

2008, Q1 = £462,340
2008, Q2 = £691,572
2008 (to date) = £1,153,912

The Times, BBC and Telegraph all have reports and you can read the full report for the UK here; and for Scotland here.

The six main recommendations of the Electoral Commission are as follows:

1. establish Electoral Management Boards in Great Britain, including all Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers for each area
2. provide the chairs of Electoral Management Boards in Great Britain with statutory powers to direct Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers
3. develop the Electoral Commission’s role in driving and monitoring performance improvements for electoral administration in Scotland
4. consolidate and simplify the legal framework for

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