Parish
A specific and defined area of land within a single local authority enclosed within a parish boundary. There are over 10,000 parishes in England, which provide the first tier of representation to their local residents.
Parish council
A body elected by electors in a parish, which serves and represents the area defined by the parish boundaries. See also town council.
Parish (or town) electoral arrangements
The total number of councillors on any one parish or town council; the number, names and boundaries of parish wards; and the number of councillors for each ward.
Parish ward
A particular area of a parish, defined for electoral, administrative and representational purposes. Eligible electors vote in whichever parish ward they live for the candidate or candidates they wish to represent them on the parish council.
Pending UK Parliamentary general election
A UK Parliamentary general election is pending during the period beginning with the date on which Her Majesty's intention to dissolve Parliament is announced in connection with a forthcoming Parliamentary general election. The pending period ends with the date of the poll for that election.
Periodic electoral review (PER)
A review of the electoral arrangements of all local authorities in England, undertaken periodically. The last programme of PERs was undertaken between 1996 and 2004 by the Boundary Committee for England and its predecessor, the now-defunct Local Government Commission for England.
Permissible donor
Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), donations can be accepted from the following UK-registered organisations and individuals:
- an individual registered in an electoral register
- a registered party
- a company
- a trade union
- a building society
- a limited liability partnership
- a friendly, industrial or provident society
- an unincorporated association
In addition, under certain circumstances, donations made from trusts, or made to meet the costs of overseas visits, are also classified as donations from permissible donors.
Effectively, overseas donations are prohibited by PPERA, since only those individuals who are on a UK electoral register, and only organisations that are registered and carry on business in the UK, can make donations to political organisations in the UK.
Permitted participant
Any campaign groups, including political parties, who intend to spend more than £10,000 on a referendum campaign must register with the Electoral Commission as a permitted participants. Controls on donations and spending apply to permitted participants and financial returns must be submitted to the Commission.
A total spending limit of £500,000 applies to most permitted participants. Higher limits apply to registered political parties that obtained more than 5% of the vote at a previous general election, up to a maximum of £5 million for parties that obtained 30% of the vote or more.
A permitted participant can be any of the following:
- an individual registered on a UK electoral register or resident in the UK
- a UK registered political party
- a UK registered company
- a UK registered trade union
- a UK registered building society
- a UK registered limited liability partnership
- a UK registered friendly or building society
- a UK based unincorporated association
Policy development grant
A grant made to a party with at least two members of the House of Commons (who have made and subscribed the oath or corresponding affirmation required by the Parliamentary Oaths Act 1866 and who are not disqualified from sitting or voting in that House) to help that party develop policies for inclusion in any manifesto which will be the basis on which:
- candidates authorised by the party will stand for election at a relevant election, or
- the party itself will seek election
Political management structure
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 enables local authorities in England to modernise their decision-making process. Councils can choose from two broad categories: a directly elected mayor and cabinet or a cabinet with a leader. The category adopted is the political management structure for the council.
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) is the legislation that established the Commission and created a new regulatory framework controlling the finances of political parties, third parties, and other organisations and individuals engaged in the political process.
Principle area boundary review
A review of the external boundary of a county, district or parish.
Public funds
Means any of the following:
- payments out of the Consolidated Fund of the UK, the Scottish Consolidated Fund, or the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland
- money provided by Parliament or appropriated by an act of the Northern Ireland Assembly
- payments by any Minister of the Crown, the Scottish Ministers, any Minister within the meaning of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, any government department (including a Northern Ireland department), or any part of the Scottish Administration or the Welsh Assembly
- payments by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body or the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission
- payments by the Electoral Commission
