The six electoral commissioners who will oversee new rules on political donations have been announced.

The group will run the Electoral Commission which has been set up under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act which became law at the end of last year.

Chairman Sam Younger is joined by Pamela Gordon, Sir Neil McIntosh, Glyn Mathias, Karamjit Singh and professor Graham Zellick.

The new commissioners' responsibilities include monitoring compliance with controls on party donations and campaign expenditure and promoting public awareness of electoral systems.

They will also be expected to comment on the question of referendum questions. The first is likely to be on a referendum on the European single currency, and the debate about what question should be asked on the ballot has already begun.

Announcing the appointments home office minister Mike O'Brien said: "I have every confidence that the new commissioners will collectively bring to bear a wide range of the skills and experience that will be necessary to establish the Electoral Commission as an independent, authoritative and respected arbiter of the controls on income and expenditure.

"The commission will have a profound effect on the way we conduct our elections and I hope it will be a source of sound, practical advice on the political and electoral process," he said.