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Uniform deposit level for Scottish Parliament elections
01/07/1998
Deposits for both constituency and regional candidates standing for election to the Scottish Parliament next May will be £500 the Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar announced today.
The deposit for regional seats is substantially lower than the £1000 currently required to stand for the equivalent European constituency and Mr Dewar said that this was to encourage as many people as possible to put themselves forward.
Mr Dewar said:
"For the 73 constituency seats I think that it would be difficult to justify anything other than the current level of deposit of £500 for Westminster elections. Apart from Orkney and Shetland which will have separate representation in the Scottish Parliament, all the other Scottish Parliamentary constituencies will be the same as Westminster.
"To ensure that the elections to the Scottish Parliament are inclusive and with the widest possible participation I have decided that the level of deposit for regional seats should also be £500 which is considerably lower than the current level of deposit of £1000 for the equivalent European Parliamentary constituencies. In considering this matter I was keen to ensure that we did not set the level too high to deter prospective candidates from standing."
To ensure the return of their deposit candidates will need to gain five per cent of the votes cast in the constituency or region in which they are standing. This is the same as elections to the House of Commons.
Political parties will need to pay a £500 deposit for each party list they put forward. Individual candidates standing for regional seats will also have to pay a £500 deposit.
News Release: 1354/98
30 June, 1998