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The Electoral Commission has today published campaign statements submitted by registered campaigners ahead of the referendum on the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales on 3 March.

The Commission offered all registered ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigners the opportunity to publish a short statement of their views on the Commission’s website:  www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. Any campaigner that registers with the Commission up to the date of poll will also have this opportunity. The Commission will also provide a link to the campaigners’ own websites on www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Kay Jenkins, Head of the Electoral Commission in Wales, said: “It is important that voters have every opportunity to hear the arguments of the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns.

“The Commission’s own public information campaign – which explains the referendum question and how to take part in the poll - is now well under way. Many voters will already have received our information booklet through their door, and seen our adverts on television, radio, online and in the press that will encourage them to visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.”

“In addition to this, voters can now read statements from campaigners on our website explaining why they are campaigning for a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote. This is important given the fact that we could not designate official lead campaigners for the referendum”

The campaigners’ statements, which sets out their arguments in favour of voting ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, is presented in a way that makes clear that the content is the responsibility of each registered campaigner. Statements will also need to meet with specific guidelines set by the Commission.

These pages can be found here in English www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/wales_referendum/information_from_campaigners.aspx and in Welsh http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/wales_referendum/information_from_campaigners.aspx?lang=cy-gb

For more information

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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 and set standards for well-run elections and are responsible for the conduct and regulations of referendums held under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (2000).
2. The Political Parties, Elections & Referendums Act 2000 gives the Electoral Commission other statutory responsibilities in relation to referendums. See our website for more details on our role in a referendum.
3. The Commission could not, by law designate lead campaigners for the referendum as the only applicant for the ‘No’ campaign did not meet a statutory test of adequately representing those campaigning for a ‘No’ vote.
4. The Government of Wales Act 2006 states that in the event that there are no lead campaigners for the referendum, the Commission has the discretion to “take such steps as they think appropriate to provide information…about the arguments for each answer to the referendum question.
5. A list of the campaigners currently registered with the Electoral Commission for the National Assembly referendum can be found on our website. 
6. The Commission started sending out its information booklet to voters from 31 January. A copy of the booklet (pdf) is available on the Commission’s website.