Elections expense limits - Parliament

4. Definition of expenses
Following an election, election agents are required to submit a return detailing the expenses
incurred by a candidate. In the case of a general election, the return must be submitted within
35 days of the day after the results were declared; it should be submitted to
What constitutes an election expense is defined in the RPA 1983, as amended. The Electoral
Commission provides the following summary of the definition of election expenses:
Election expenses are any expenses incurred in promoting a candidate's election. All
expenses incurred in relation to items used to promote a candidate during a specified
period must be treated as the candidate's election expenses and count against the
candidate's election expenses limit, regardless of when the expenditure was incurred.
Examples of candidates' election expenses include items such as:
• printing and distribution of leaflets or other promotional material;
• advertising material (e.g. posters and rosettes);
• expenses incurred in relation to various types of communications (e.g.
telephone, fax, internet);
• administrative costs (e.g. the maintenance of a campaign office);
• postage;
• expenses relating to holding public meetings (including payment of
speakers);
• fees paid to election agents, sub-agents, polling agents or to clerks and
messengers during the election etc.;
• expenses relating to the hire of committee rooms during an election;
• miscellaneous items.
Election expenses include any notional expenses, that is, the commercial value of any
goods or services provided free of charge or at a discount from normal commercial
prices. For example, if an individual who supported a candidate's campaign supplied
the candidate with promotional leaflets at just 50% of the usual commercial price, the
discount provided to the candidate should be treated as notional expenditure. 6
Although the regulated period begins at the moment an individual becomes a candidate (now
not before Parliament has been dissolved) and ends with the poll, expenses incurred before
that time count against the limit if the goods and services procured are used for the purpose of
the candidate’s election in the regulated period.
The Electoral Commission has also produced Election expenditure and donations: guidance
for candidates and election agents, which is available on the Commission’s website. 7
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Electoral Commission, Candidates’ election expenses,
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/legcandidates.cfm
Electoral Commission, Election expenditure and donations: guidance for candidates and election agents,
September 2004,
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