Your story (Tories consider electoral law to protect MPs if parties overspend, theguardian.com, 21 May) should worry anyone who values fair elections and a functioning democracy. If their initiative succeeds, only campaign spending explicitly authorised by a candidate or their agent will count towards their legally limited election expenses. Other spending – for example, by the candidate’s party headquarters, aimed at getting that candidate elected in that constituency – would not count at all. It would be open season for wealthy parties to drive a coach and horses through the whole regime of controlled campaign spending. They could “buy” elections in seats on an even more egregious basis than the current ludicrous legislation permits.
We would readily support the proposed reform, so long as it was accompanied by another reform making it a criminal offence for parties and their staff to spend money promoting a candidate without their agent’s authorisation.
Nick Harvey
Chief executive, Liberal Democrats
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