Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he take steps though the planned Elections Bill to ensure that individuals convicted of terrorist offences against the United Kingdom at home or abroad are disqualified from standing as candidates in any election.

There are several existing disqualification criteria for standing as a candidate in elections in the UK which relate to criminal offences. For example, the Elections Act 2022 introduced a disqualification order for those convicted of intimidation or abuse of candidates, campaigners or elected office holders. The effect of the disqualification order is a five-year ban from standing for, or holding, elective office, in addition to any standard punishment for the underlying criminal offence. The Government has introduced the Representation of the People Bill, which will extend the disqualification order to offences motivated by hostility towards electoral staff.

The Representation of the People Act 1983 also defines corrupt and illegal election practices, for which a convicted person is disqualified for up to five years. Additionally, someone cannot be a Police and Crime Commissioner if they have ever been convicted of an imprisonable offence.