Section 85(2) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) defines controlled expenditure as:
'...expenses incurred by or on behalf of the third party in connection with the production or publication of election material which is made available to the public at large or any section of the public (in whatever form and by whatever means).'
We take the view that this includes items such as staff and accommodation costs and, for example, expenditure incurred in organising meetings to discuss the preparation of election material, as well as more direct costs such as the printing of a leaflet. It will be necessary, therefore, to consider each area of expenditure on a case-by-case basis. Websites are regarded as election material for the purpose of PPERA.
