Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the proposals in Early Day Motion 278, on Office of Electoral Integrity, are not incorporated into the roles and responsibilities of the Electoral Commission; and if he will take steps to incorporate such proposals in the Electoral Commission’s remit.

Chris Skidmore

The accuracy of arguments advanced in the course of referendum and election campaigns is not subject to regulation.

The Government will consider this and other issues relating to the regulation of political campaigning, following the publication of the Electoral Commission’s report on the administration of the referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union which is expected shortly.

Creating a new body to regulate what candidates and political campaigners could say would have an effect on freedom of speech within the law. Moreover, the proposed regime would be likely to fuel malicious and partisan complaints (and counter-complaints), which would undermine, rather than strengthen, confidence in the democratic process.