Elections: information about candidates

[ALB]

In their report published today on n the farcical election of Police Commissioners last November (I think that's when it was) the Electoral Commission's chair makes this comment in her Foreword:

Quote:

People have to know what they are voting for, and understand what different candidates might offer, in order to participate.

This of course is a basic principle of any democratic decision-making and the Commission recommends that in future such elections all electors be sent a booklet, at government expense, with the names and policies of the candidates. This is fair enough and is partly designed to help "Independent" candidates who don't have any party machine behind them.

But why don't they take it further and apply this to parliamentary elections? Here the equal time indications of the Representation of the People Acts have fallen into disuse, with in fact the approval of the Commission which recommends that not all candidates need be invited to hustings meetings (only a half do). And the radio and TV have taken to referring listeners and viewers to a webpage where they can see a list of candidates whereas previously they used to mention, if only briefly, every candidate not just those of the major parties or those who interest them, as happens now and without the Electoral Commission complaining.

[alanjjohnstone]

Will the election committee be responding in its official capacity to the report? I suggest that they do.

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