16 Jun 2008
"The Electoral Commission is pleased to see that the government intends to take forward our proposal that the Commission should be given wider investigative powers, and a wider range of sanctions for when the rules on party and election finances are broken.
"Since the current rules on party finances came into force in 2001, the public has been given more information than ever before about where parties get their money, and how they spend it. But public confidence in the political process also depends on robust regulation, and we are pleased that the government has acknowledged this in proposing stronger powers for the Commission.
"We will be carefully considering the proposals set out in the White Paper, including proposed changes to the current restrictions on who can be appointed as an Electoral Commissioner or an employee of the Commission, and will be publishing a detailed response in July."
