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The UK Parliament has approved a motion to appoint four new Electoral Commissioners, after a selection process overseen by the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission.

Baroness Browning, David Howarth, Lord Kennedy of Southwark and the Rt. Hon George Reid will join the six existing Commissioners on the board of the Electoral Commission – the independent elections and party funding watchdog – from 1 October 2010.

Commenting on the appointments, Jenny Watson, chair of the Electoral Commission, said:

“We have a busy programme ahead, with two proposed referendums as well as scheduled elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, local elections in England and possible local elections in Northern Ireland next year.

“The Government has also announced its intention to speed up the introduction of individual voter registration, and we have called on the Government to look at the way elections are delivered in the United Kingdom. The UK Parliament is also due to approve the new set of powers and sanctions set out in the Political Parties & Elections Act 2009, which will assist the Commission in its role as the regulator of election and referendum campaign funding.

“The new Commissioners will bring a wealth of first hand political experience to the Commission, and contribute to the leadership needed to deliver this challenging programme in a way that puts voters at the heart of the process. We look forward to their contribution.”

The UK Parliament’s Speaker’s Committee selected the new Commissioners from a number of candidates nominated by the leaders of political parties at Westminster. The new Commissioners will serve the standard four year terms, with the exception of the nominated Commissioner representing the smaller parties – the Rt. Hon George Reid - who is appointed for a term of two years. This shorter period will provide an opportunity for rotation between parties, should that be desired.

The motion passed by the House of Commons presents the four new Commissioners for formal appointment by Her Majesty the Queen.

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For further information on the Electoral Commission

Office hours: 020 7271 0529
Outside office hours: 07789 920414

Notes to editors

1. The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. We regulate party and election finance, set standards for well-run elections and are responsible for the conduct and accuracy of referendums held under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (2000). 
2. The Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 introduced changes to the governance of the Commission, allowing for four Commissioners to be appointed from a number of candidates nominated by the leaders of political parties represented in the House of Commons. The nominations were approved by a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday 15 September 2010. 
3. The selection process for Commissioners is handled by the Speakers Committee on the Electoral Commission, and not by the Electoral Commission itself.  A report on the process they undertook can be found here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmspeak/320/32002.htm
4. The leaders of the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party all nominated Commissioners, who were subject to a selection process by the Speaker’s Committee. The nomination of Rt. Hon George Reid, the Commissioner nominated by the Scottish National Party, was supported by Plaid Cymru and the Social Democratic and Labour Party. 
5. A short biography of each Commissioner follows:

• Baroness Browning – Angela Browning is the former Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton and was a Member of both the Public Accounts and Standards and Privileges Select Committees. She was Shadow Leader of the House of Commons from 2000 to 2001 and was Deputy Chairman of the Conservative party 2005-2007. She stood down from Parliament at the 2010 General election.
• David Howarth – David Howarth is the former Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge. Between January 2009 and May 2010, he was the Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and led for the Liberal Democrats on the Political Parties and Elections Bill. Mr Howarth is also a specialist in constitutional law. He stood down from Parliament at the 2010 General election.
• Lord Kennedy of Southwark – Roy Kennedy was the regional director for the Labour Party in the East Midlands from 1997 to 2005 before becoming the Party’s Director of Finance and Compliance. He was raised to the Peerage in June 2010.
• Rt. Hon George Reid – Mr Reid served as an elected member of both the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons  and was the second Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament between 2003 and 2007.  He led the recent review of the administration of the Northern Ireland Assembly.