Elections

The county court dismissed the Labour Party’s appeal against the Electoral Commission’s decision, imposing a penalty of £1,848 for late payments of election-related expenses. It held that the relevant procedure for the appeal was for it to be brought by way of a form N161 and that, on the proper construction of s 77 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the failure to put in place or maintain a proper system for ensuring compliance with the Act’s requirements was not a “reasonable excuse”.