With elections to the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales under way, Professor Alistair Clark, Professor of Political Science, has highlighted that there is an urgent need for the Scottish and Welsh governments to reform reporting requirements on electoral spending and to tighten regulations to ensure the public can clearly see how campaigns are funded.

Writing for the Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Clark argues that despite a strong record in election administration – largely due to the creation of the Scottish Electoral Management Board (EMB), and through the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 – there is a significant gap in the transparency of political party financing and election spending in devolved elections.

“Both parliaments now have significantly more powers than when they were established and are the centre of political life in both countries,” Professor Clark says. “Voters in Scotland and Wales deserve no less transparency for their major elections than UK voters have for the House of Commons. Quick action on added transparency would be a good way for both post-election First Ministers to mark a break with the past and bring this aspect of electoral regulation into line with the progress made in other aspects of electoral administration.”

Read the full blog here: Elections in Scotland and Wales: Leading the Way for Two Decades, but Work Needed on Transparency