Political Parties and Elections Bill — Innocent mistakes allowed in a donor's declaration — rejected — 2 Mar 2009 at 19:10

The majority of MPs voted^[1] against including a subsection in the Political Parties and Elections Bill^[2] (in a part which will eventually be added to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000 when it is passed)^[3] regulating the "Declaration as to source of donation" of money to a political party.

The Bill already expresses that:

• A person who knowingly or recklessly makes a false declaration [of the source of a donation to a political party] commits an offence.

The additional subsection said:

• A person does not commit an offence if, in the reasonable opinion of the [Electoral Commission], the person had no intention of making, or by innocent mistake made, a false declaration...

but this was voted down.

• [1] Jonathan Djanogly MP, House of Commons, 2 March 2009
• [2] Amendment 121, House of Commons, 2 March 2009
• [3] Declaration as to source of donation, Clause 8, Political Parties and Elections Bill

Debate in Parliament | Source |