Matters of life and death
Lord Lucan is now officially presumed dead. How do you have someone declared dead? In England and Wales, under the Presumption of Death Act 2013…
— Anyone can apply to have anyone else declared dead, but if the applicant is not a spouse, civil partner, parent, child or sibling of the presumed deceased they must show they have a significant interest.
— The person should have been missing for at least seven years, but it is possible to have someone declared dead earlier if the court is convinced they have died.
— It costs £480.
— An order can be revoked if the person later turns up alive, but that will not reinstate a marriage or civil partnership.
— The act cannot be used in the instance of a missing monarch.
Electoral returns
The Conservatives were accused of breaking the Electoral Commission’s spending limit in three by-elections. How is money spent on electioneering?
| Spending by parties in 2015 general election | |
| Unsolicited mail to electors | £15m |
| Market research/canvassing | £7.6m |
| Advertising | £6.8m |
| Rallies and events | £2.4m |
| General administration | £2m |
| Transport | £1.6m |
| Broadcasts | £866,000 |
| Media | £329,000 |
| Manifestos | £318,000 |
Source: Electoral Commission
Cultural capital
Chorus singers at the English National Opera threatened to strike over proposed salary cuts due to a lower Arts Council grant.
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