Tuesday 1 April 2008 - The Electoral Commission today launched an issues paper on the structure of electoral administration in the UK. The issues paper provides a basis for consideration of a series of key issues relating to the administration of elections in the UK. It is designed to facilitate discussion and debate among all those with an interest in the administration of elections about what shape electoral administration structures might take in future. The Paper invites responses to be submitted to the Commission by Friday 23 May 2008.
Tuesday 18 March 2008 - The Scottish Government has now published its Response to the Independent Review of The Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government Elections 3 May 2007. The Scottish Government – with the Scottish Parliament itself – strongly supports Ron Gould’s central recommendation that legislative and administrative responsibility for elections to the Scottish Parliament should sit with that Parliament and the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government has also indicated that it will take forward Ron Gould’s other recommendation for parliamentary and local elections. As a first step, a consultation document on decoupling local and Parliamentary elections is being published (as Appendix A to its Response metioned above). Other consultations on a Chief Returning Officer and other matters will follow and will be made before the next elections. Responses to the Consultation Paper require to be submitted by 12 June 2008.