The register of political parties

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Registration

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Changing, confirming and removing registrations

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Speaker’s Committee

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Access to the register

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Effects of registration

13 Parliamentary elections: nomination and ballot papers.

Schedule 2 (which amends the Parliamentary Elections Rules) shall have effect.

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15 Security at party conferences.

(1) ^M4Section 170 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (security at party conferences) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsections (1) and (3) for “qualifying political party” substitute in each place “ qualifying registered political party ” .

(3) After subsection (4) add—

“ (5) In this section “ registered political party ” means a party registered under the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998. ” .

Transitional provisions

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Miscellaneous and general

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24 Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998.

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26 Extent.

This Act extends to Northern Ireland.

SCHEDULES

Section 2.

SCHEDULE 1 Applications for Registration

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Section 13.

SCHEDULE 2 Amendments of the Parliamentary Elections Rules

1 ^M7 The Parliamentary Elections Rules set out in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 shall be amended as follows.

2 After rule 6 (nomination of candidates) insert—

“ Nomination papers: name of registered political party

6A (1) A nomination paper may not include a description of a candidate which is likely to lead voters to associate the candidate with a registered political party unless the description is authorised by a certificate—

(a) issued by or on behalf of the registered nominating officer of the party, and

(b) received by the returning officer at some time during the period for delivery of nomination papers set out in the Table in rule 1.

(2) A person shall be guilty of a corrupt practice if he fraudulently purports to be authorised to issue a certificate under paragraph (1) on behalf of a registered political party’s nominating officer.

(3) In the application of this rule in relation to an election “ registered political party ” means a party which was registered under the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 at the time by which the notice of election is required to be published by virtue of rule 1. ” .

3 (1) Rule 12 (decisions as to validity of nomination papers) is amended as follows.

(2) At the beginning of paragraph (3) insert “Subject to paragraph (3A),”.

(3) After paragraph (3) insert—

“ (3A) If in the returning officer’s opinion a nomination paper breaks rule 6A(1), he shall give a decision to that effect as soon as practicable after the close of the period for delivery of nomination papers set out in the Table in rule 1. ” .

(4) In paragraph (4) for “Where he” substitute “ Where the returning officer ” .

4 In rule 19 (the ballot papers), after paragraph (2) insert—

“ (2A) If a candidate who is the subject of a party’s authorisation under rule 6A(1) so requests, the ballot paper shall contain, against the candidate’s particulars, the party’s registered emblem (or, as the case may be, one of the party’s registered emblems).

(2B) The request must—

(a) be made in writing to the returning officer, and

(b) be received by him during the period for delivery of nomination papers set out in the Table in rule 1. ” .

5 In the Appendix of Forms, for the form of the front of the ballot paper there shall be substituted the form set out in the Appendix to this Schedule.

6 In the Directions as to printing the ballot paper in the Appendix of Forms—

(a) in paragraph 2(a) for “and the particulars of the candidates” substitute “ , the particulars of the candidates and words forming part of emblems ” , and

(b) after paragraph 3 add—

“ 3A Where an emblem is to be printed against a candidate’s particulars—

(a) it shall be printed between the candidate’s particulars and the vertical rule separating the candidates’ particulars from the spaces where the vote is to be marked, and

(b) its size as printed shall not exceed two centimetres square. ” .

Appendix

Section 23.

SCHEDULE 3 Consequential Amendments and Modifications

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