10. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with government contracts to candidates?
United Kingdom
Art 54.2.b, [permissible donors include] '(b) a company?(i) registered under the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, and (ii) incorporated within the United Kingdom or another member State,which carries on business in the United Kingdom;' [no specific provision for corporations with partial government ownership or government contracts] (Source: Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act, 2000)
Schedule 2A, '(1) This Schedule has effect for controlling donations to candidates at an election.(2) The following provisions have effect for the purposes of this Schedule.(3) ?Relevant donation?, in relation to a candidate at an election, means a donation to thecandidate or his election agent for the purpose of meeting election expenses incurredby or on behalf of the candidate.(4) In sub-paragraph (3) above the reference to a donation for the purpose of meetingelection expenses incurred by or on behalf of a candidate includes a reference to adonation for the purpose of securing that any such expenses are not so incurred; and adonation shall be taken to be a donation for either of those purposes if, having regardto all the circumstances, it must be reasonably assumed to be such a donation.(5) ?Donation? shall be construed in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 4 below.(6) ?The 2000 Act? means the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.(6A) In relation to a donation received by a candidate at an election in Great Britain,references to a permissible donor falling within section 54(2) of the 2000 Act are to be read as if section 54(2) did not include a party registered in the Northern Irelandregister maintained by the Commission under Part 2 of that Act.' (Source: Representation of the People Act, 1983)
Donations to candidates largely follow the same rules as to political parties.
