To mark the 30th anniversary of the Nolan Principles, the Committee will be publishing a new series of blogs about the work of a range of standards bodies in England. Our second blog is from John Pullinger CB, Chair of the Electoral Commission.
The seven principles of public life have guided the work of all public office holders for 30 years. They set high standards which must be upheld if public confidence is to be sustained. Each principle is important to anyone, elected or appointed, to a role serving the public. Amongst the principles, accountability has a distinctive purpose to ensure that there is a public reckoning for past actions, including adherence to all the other principles.
This principle says that holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this. It is a fundamental tenet of democracy that those elected to represent their constituents and govern are answerable to the people, and that accountability happens at the ballot box.
The UK parliamentary general election, held in July 2024, provided an opportunity to hold those elected to govern us to account and to choose from a range of alternative options in each of the 650 constituencies. A record number of candidates stood for election, and after the votes were tallied, every single one of the results was accepted by the losers. We had the highest ever number of new MPs: 335 people were elected to Parliament for the first time and a further 15 had been MPs before, but not in the last Parliament.
Such clarity of accountability, resulting in a smooth transfer of power, is a remarkable achievement of our electoral system. It does not happen by accident. It rests on a complex infrastructure of law and practice plus hard work and dedication from candidates, agents, volunteers and campaigners, alongside teams of electoral administrators working in local communities to enable voters the opportunity to cast their ballot in secret.
Many other organisations and individuals also play an essential role in our electoral system: the media, law enforcement, observers to name but a few. Oversight for the system is provided by the Electoral Commission.
For the public to trust the Electoral Commission, it is essential that it acts, and is seen to act, independently of any vested interest involved in contesting the election. It must have the confidence both of those submitting themselves for re-election and those wishing to challenge them.
A critical question, therefore, is how is the Electoral Commission itself held accountable?
The 10 Commissioners are each chosen through a rigorous process, culminating in debate on the floor of the House of Commons. Four of the Commissioners must be chosen from nominees put forward by the leaders of different political parties to ensure both political experience and diversity of perspective within the Commission. A further three of the Commissioners must represent Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure understanding of the distinct electoral landscape in each of the nations of the United Kingdom.
The process of appointment is overseen by the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which is chaired by Mr Speaker and does not have a majority membership from any one political party. This Committee also reviews the plans and performance of the Electoral Commission through public hearings, and a member of the Committee answers questions from MPs about the work of the Commission.
This process provides a solid basis for independent action by the Commission coupled with scrutiny and accountability. The work of the Speaker’s Committee is complemented by several other parliamentary committees. Notable amongst these are the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee; the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee; and the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, all of which we have appeared in front of in the last two months. Each of these has taken an active interest in the work of the Electoral Commission, as has the Committee on Standards in Public Life. The Commission is also separately accountable through the Senedd’s Llywydd Committee and the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body.
It is vital for the health of our democracy that elected officials are held accountable at the ballot box. It is just as important that the organisation that oversees our elections is also held accountable for its actions. Electoral Commissioners and all staff working at the Commission appreciate the role they play in our public life. We work to the rightly high standards set out in the seven principles of public life and are always ready to be held accountable for our actions.
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