ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how national law treats political parties before registration and during their functioning. The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is the governing legislation for the registration and functioning of minor and major political parties in the UK. There were three separate cases brought before the national courts: one that dealt directly with the provision of British National Party (BNP) constitution that only allowed membership of white persons; one that dealt with the scope of the order issued. The Equality and Human Rights Commission brought a new case, arguing that the BNP had not adequately fulfilled the conditions of the court order and requested an order for the defendants to be committed for contempt and for the sequestration of the BNP’s assets. The first-past-the-post system is the electoral system for gaining seats in the British Parliament and for local elections in England and Wales.
