Attempts to reduce candidate spending limits

Guernsey held its first island-wide general election in 2020 during the Covid pandemic

A proposal to reduce the amount of money individual candidates can spend at next year's general election has been put forward.

The States Assembly and Constitution Committee (SACC) has proposed increasing the limit to £7,500 from £6,000.

However, deputies Peter Roffey and Lindsay de Sausmarez want to cap it at £6,000 per candidate, while deputies Steve Falla and Sue Aldwell have suggested an even lower limit of £3,000 spending per person.

The proposals are due to be debated by States members at their meeting starting on 4 September.

Mr Falla said his proposal reflected the views of a "signiciant number of States members that the allowable expenditure should not be off-putting to candidates of limited means who may be discouraged by a perceived high barrier to campaigning".

A higher limit has been argued for by Mr Roffey who said he was "deeply concerned that too steep a reduction will lead to valid claims that we are simply preventing candidates from communicating with voters – other than through government channels".

When the matter was discussed earlier this year, deputies agreed to scrap a £500 grant for each candidate.

Earlier this year, lower limits for individual candidates of £2,300, £3,000, £4,000 and £5,000 were all voted down by the States Assembly.

At the last general election in 2020, the limits were set at £6,000 per person and £9,000 for political parties.

Deputies have agreed to hold the 2025 general election on 18 June.

Mr Falla has also proposed reducing limits for party spending to £6,000, while Mr Roffey has put forward a proposal to increase it from £9,000 to £12,000.