明星八卦

In this evidence, Professor Justin Fisher looks at a document called the draft strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission. He finds out that: 

• The Commission’s duties are already outlined in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.
• Repeated evidence indicates that the Electoral Commission already provides high-quality guidance and advice to election participants.
• The statement effectively imposes a ‘free speech’ criterion on Electoral Commission decision-making, where its role in respect of digital imprints is to regulate party and election finance.
• There is a fundamental issue in arguing that the Commission should be accountable to those who are subject to its regulation – members of the UK Parliament.
• The core priorities identified in the statement create significant potential for additional avenues of legal challenge to the Commission’s work
• The statement overall represents both duplication of existing practice, and in places, presents solutions to implied problems for which there is insufficient evidence of their existence

Watch the meeting: