Candidates must formally consent to their nomination and deliver their consent by the deadline for delivery of nomination papers. The consent to nomination form is not prescribed, but the required content is set out in law.1
The form must contain:
the candidate’s date of birth
a statement that they are aware of the provisions of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975
a statement that to the best of their knowledge they are not disqualified from being a Member of the House of Commons
a statement that they are not a candidate at an election for any other UK Parliamentary constituency with the same polling day
It is for the candidate to ensure that they are not disqualified from standing. Neither you nor the Commission are able to confirm whether or not a candidate is disqualified.
Candidates are not allowed to sign their consent form earlier than one calendar month before the deadline for submitting their nomination papers.
The consent must be witnessed by another person, but there are no restrictions on who can be a witness to the consent to nomination.
There is an exception to the requirement for the consent to be delivered in writing and by hand. You may be satisfied that, due to the absence of the candidate from the UK, it is not reasonably practicable for the candidate to provide their consent in writing. In this circumstance, you can treat a candidate’s consent given by email or scanned document sent electronically or by other similar means of communication, as written consent. The consent is deemed as having been given on the date it is sent, and does not need to be attested.2