§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the article in Council Magazine by Julian Malins QC on candidates at general elections. [51485]
546W
§ Mr. George HowarthThe article by the hon. Member's brother gives a useful account of the problem of misleading candidates' descriptions on ballot papers. Since the article was written, the Registration of Political Parties Bill has been introduced. The Bill provides that only a candidate authorised by a registered political party may include a description on the ballot paper which is likely to lead voters to associate the candidate with that party. It also enables candidates representing registered parties to include the party's emblem on the ballot paper.