This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Increase in expenses limit
03/03/2005
Details of an increase in the maximum amounts of
candidates' election expenses at local government elections
in Scotland were announced today.
The increase follows recommendations from an Electoral
Commission report published earlier this year.
Although the Commission's remit does not extend to local
government elections in Scotland, the Commission
recommended that candidates throughout the United Kingdom
should be subject to the same limits.
Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform Tom
McCabe said:
"Politicians at every level face an enormous challenge
in seeking to engage the electorate and increase voter
turnout. Increasing the limits on local government
candidates' expenses will not automatically result in
increased voter engagement but it should help to ensure
that their campaigning is more effective in getting people
to vote.
"For this reason, and to ensure that local government
candidates in Scotland are treated the same as other
candidates for statutory elections, I agree with the
Electoral Commission's recommendation that the limit for
expenses for local government candidates should be
increased to £600 plus 5p per elector.
"I have arranged for legislation to be laid before the
Scottish Parliament to put this into effect."
The Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of
Candidates' Local Government Election Expenses) (Scotland)
Order 2005 which sets out the new rates is scheduled to
come into effect on April 1.