Political Parties and Elections Bill

I express a margin of concern about this part of the Bill. I go back to the little old man with no money and who has made a mistake. It is the dynamics within the constituency party that interest me. The treasurer, who may be the person who at the end of the day is held to account, could be subject to all sorts of pressures within a constituency party or association. They might be bullied, misled or ill advised, or they may feel that they have to assert their position in some way to convince others that they warrant the position that they have been given. There are all kinds of pressures on individuals that might lead someone into a position in which they made a mistake. We all know that regulatory authorities can sometimes be very heavy-handed. I do not always trust these bodies to take the right decisions in those circumstances. They say "prosecute" or "bring charges" or whatever without understanding what is going on in the background. I am not trying to argue against this part of the Bill, but I am entering this reservation. When my noble friend describes in his letter the so-called areas of prescribed offences and penalties, he and his civil servants might have in mind the possibility that those conditions could exist within a political party or association.