Help Us Stop Lies In Political Advertising

The 2019 disinformation election might be over but as it has clearly demonstrated the need to reform the rules for political advertising has never been more urgent or important. 
 
We recently conducted YouGov research that showed 9/10 of the UK public want rules in place for factual claims in political ads. 
 
We took part in various interviews over the election period including BBC Breakfast, Politics Live, The BBC News Channel and 5  Live that demonstrated even the media agree with this too (with each other as well as us).
 
Now we need your help in the next phase of our campaign to get politicians to start demanding change in the new parliament. Leadership on the issue is the only barrier.
 
The solution is simple and we’ve put it forward in our review of misleading ads over the election period “Illegal, Indecent, Dishonest and Untruthful, How Political Advertising During The Election Let Us Down”. Essentially agreeing to abide by a code and extending the remit of the Advertising Standards Authority to cover political advertising (the only type of advertising they don’t cover). This is similar to how the rules for all non-political advertising works.  
 
The immediate signs from the new government don’t look that promising. For example, the Queen’s Speech contained nothing significant in our view. However, we need your help in responding with urgency to this in getting the new and current politicians from all parties engaged and involved in this issue. What is the alternative? For the sake of a properly functioning democracy we just can’t let the sort of paid campaigning we've had in this election become the norm. 
 
Please sign and share this petition to join us in demanding change.

We are politically neutral and not for profit. 
 
Personal story

The Coalition for Reform in Political Advertising was founded by Alex Tait and Benedict Pringle. Alex has worked in marketing departments for some of the UK’s biggest companies and Benedict has run the website politicaladvertising.co.uk for over 10 years.

We feel that lies in political advertising are contributing to a degradation in political debate, a perpetuation of “fake news” and a decline in the legitimacy of democratic decision-making.

We are a group of organisations from the advertising industry, citizens, other businesses and not-for-profits which believe that the open and honest debate of issues facing our countries is fundamental to democracy and who want to reform political advertising legislation to help maintain it.
 
Members of the Coalition for Reform in Political Advertising in the UK include several political parties including the Green Party and The Women’s Equality Party as well as the UK advertisers’ trade body, ISBA.

If you agree with our campaign please donate to our crowdfunding page to carry on the good fight into 2020. The organisation is run by unpaid volunteers.