Campaigning efforts are already underway across many local authorities in Scotland, with purdah starting roughly three weeks before local elections and from Ultimately, you must always be guided by the principle of fairness. These should be organised by political parties with no cost or resource implications for the council. It is important to note that pre-election rules restrict activity wider than just publicity. All in all, the SNP came out on top with 431 councillors in total elected in 2017, compared with the Scottish Conservatives 276 and 262 seats for Scottish Labour. There should be even-handedness in meeting information requests from the different political parties and campaigning groups. This event brings together those focused on keeping people well at home and in the community. Obviously, this needs to be balanced carefully against any implication that deferral itself could influence the political outcome. publish factual information to counteract misleading, controversial or extreme (for example, racist/sexist) information. These occasions are likely to be rare and to be the exception, rather than the rule. If in doubt, always refer to Cabinet Office guidance (PDF). On Polling day there are strict rules that dictate behaviour. The Act requires public authorities to respond to requests promptly and in any event not later than 20 working days after the date of receipt. It is your decision whether to invite them or not. WebDate: Monday 28 March 2022. NHS Confederation (2021), Pre-election period: dos and don'ts for the NHS. This is not the case, and the ordinary functions of councils can continue, but some restrictions may be imposed by law. Local elections 2022 We have updated Part 1 of our guidance for Candidates and Agents to reflect this. WebRT @raycasey2003: Dirty Dozen - the Top12 #BenHouchen cronies No.8Denise McGuckin PART 2 OF 4 Denise McGuckin will do anything to please her Daddy Ben. In the case of NHS property, decisions are for the relevant NHS body, but should visits be permitted to, for example, hospitals, it should be on the basis that there is no disruption to services and that the same facilities are available to all candidates. The Provider Podcast - Changing mindsets: Confronting white privilege in the NHS, The Provider Podcast - COVID-19 One Year On: Questions with Jeremy Hunt, Written submission to the Department for Health and Social Care on Reforming the Mental Health Act White Paper, NHS Providers response to Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill, The Leading Integration Peer Support Programme, Resources for parliamentarians and their staff, NHS Providers annual reports and accounts, 2022 local elections: pre-election period considerations for NHS providers. Government communicators should apply the principles set out above when planning and delivering communications activities that will take place during the election periods. The first question to ask is: could a reasonable person conclude that you were spending public money to influence the outcome of the election?. Sign up for your free weekly Guardian Public Leaders newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Thursday. Although NHS staff are not generally regarded as civil servants, pre-election periods are increasingly enforced on NHS bodies. 2022 local elections The 2017 local elections marked the emergence of the Scottish Conservatives as the second largest party in local government in Scotland, echoing the partys successes south of the border in England and Wales. London Assembly The latest date for pre-election Purdah (pre-election period) - Wikipedia [15], At the national level, major decisions on policy are postponed until after the pre-election period, unless it is in the national interest to proceed, or a delay would waste public money. not to undertake any activity that could call into question their political impartiality. It saw Scotlands largest local authority change hands from Scottish Labour for the first time since 1980. Allow party political meetings to take place on your organisations premises. We'll start to publish details approximately 6 months before election day. In cases of doubt, guidance should be sought from the Government Communications Service in the Cabinet Office. Political activity connected with the Northern Ireland election falls within the definition of national political activity. At any other time - ie not during the run up to local elections - it would have appeared a positive enough tweet by Hartlepool Borough Council relaying good news to residents about new investment coming its way. 2024 London mayoral election - Wikipedia Allow party political meetings to take place on your organisations premises. The previously used termpurdah came into popular use across central and local government to describe the period of time immediately before elections or referendums when specific restrictions on communications activity are in place. The LGA would like to thank LGcommunications, Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Eastleigh Borough Council in the creation of this document. 14 June 2023 08:30 - 15 June 2023 17:00 GMT. It should be read in conjunction with any guidance produced by your own Returning Officer or Monitoring Officer, which provides specific advice depending on your local circumstances. The elections will take place to elect all of the 66 ward councillors (three councillors in each ward). The 2022 Council Elections in Scotland will be held on Thursday May 5. Not a problem! Subject to the principles set out below, UK Government business can continue. Read more: Row over post-Brexit cash for Teesside as mayor's funding claim rejected by powerhouse chief. Purdah is a period that exists in the pre-election period in order to constrain the government and ensure it is not using its incumbency to receive an electoral advantage. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Detailed guidance on the restrictions on civil servants involvement in a private capacity in local and national political activities is set out in section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code, and in departmental staff handbooks. Row over post-Brexit cash for Teesside as mayor's funding claim rejected by powerhouse chief. Labour Party incumbent Sadiq Khan is For many civil servants and local government staff, purdah can be a welcome opportunity for a breathing space while ministers and local politicians or, this May, mayoral candidates, are out on the stump, canvassing and drumming up support. Pre-Election Period Commences March 20, 2022 - 12:49 pm. [8][9] The preferred terms are 'pre-election period' or 'heightened sensitivity' to refer to the period of electioneering.[10][11][12]. In such cases you should stop or defer them. Official support must not be given to visits and events with a party political or campaigning purpose. It will only move the next ordinary local government elections by one year from May 2021 to May 2022. 34. stated intentional commitments (manifesto), Election Commission of India's Model Code of Conduct, "Election 'purdah' or the pre-election period", "Saying 'purdah' is 'sexist, racist and offensive' says Women's Party candidate", "Bank of England drops use of word purdah on gender grounds", "A short guide to publicity during the pre-election period", "The Times Diary: Drawing veil over purdah", "General election 2017: guidance for civil servants GOV.UK", "Purdah public bodies in the pre-election period", "Local government publicity during the pre-election period", "Code of recommended practice on local authority publicity", "Pre-election guidance for NHS organisations spring 2021", "The provider sector deficit due to be hidden until after election", "Reality Check: Why is NHS budget data delayed by purdah? Hints and tips for communications activity over the pre-election period. A pre election period in local government ends on the close of polls which, for ordinary elections, is usually on the first Thursday in May. Unless it is a statutory duty or considered normal council business, such as budget consultations. These cookies help make the website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. This is why there has been a phenomenon of taking photos of dogs are polling stations in recent years to fill the void created by the media outage on election day: Does Purdah apply to local elections too? When local elections are being held at the same time as a general election, this higher standard is usually applied. On 4 May, there will be local elections in England, Wales and Scotland as well as mayoral elections in England. Separate conduct guidance will also be issued by the Scottish Government and Welsh Government to civil servants working for the respective devolved administrations and their agencies and public bodies. Current vacancies and elections You are allowed to publish factual information which identifies the names, constituencies and parties of candidates at elections. Purdah The pre-election period in which rules are put in place to prevent the Government from politicising issues to their electoral advantage. While Mr Houchen isn't up for re-election today, many Hartlepool councillors are. Alternatively, you can choose the type of cookie you would like to accept by clicking 'manage cookies' below. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Ministers will wish to be aware of the potential sensitivities in this regard and might decide, on advice, to postpone making certain announcements until after the elections. In doing so, civil servants will wish to be aware of the need to avoid any action that is, or could be construed as being, party political or otherwise controversial in the context of the elections. that local NHS organisations observe the pre-election period from, guidance published by the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service. With health and care issues high on the political agenda, here are some tips for any communications activity during the pre-election period. While the Labour Party will continue to whinge about anything I do for the area, I haven't broken any rules by doing my job and it seems to me my opponents realise just how popular this project will be in Hartlepool.". Continue to conduct normal business including board meetings where decisions need to be made and adhere to good governance and regulation. Friday 26 November 2021 (predicted) Police, Fire and Crime Updated: 5:13 PM EDT May 3, 2022. In cases of doubt, in the first instance you should consult your Permanent Secretarys Office. The pre-election period does not apply to candidates for political office. Unfortunately that investment concerned the establishment of a New Mayoral Development Corporation in the borough announced by Tees Valley Mayor, Conservative Ben Houchen. However, the High court ruled that as Purdah was not prescribed in statute and therefore could not override a court order. If you do, remember to keep your policy around visits consistent and impartial. Statistic cookies help us to understand how visitors are interacting with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. During this time, communications in the form of either announcements or activities by NHS organisations should be avoided if they could influence, or be regarded as influencing, the outcome of elections. Obviously it's open to interpretation. It is important to remember that this applies to online communication such as social media, in the same way as other activity. It highlights the practical implications around providers activities, including in relation to integrated care systems (ICSs), and with regard to communication during the pre-election period. [1] The pre-election period also continues after the election during the time in which new MPs and ministers are sworn in. If in doubt, always refer to theguidance published by the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service. The code mentions at the outset that it in no way detracts from the section 2 offence of the Act. A short guide to publicity during the pre-election period 2022 This three-week period began on 14th April 2022 and follows the same fundamental principles as General Election Purdah. Keep any communications with local candidates/political parties/campaign groups/other politicians to a factual and apolitical basis apply the same approach to any requests for information, communications with the media and in the public sphere. Its a double-edged sword: some favoured projects will get kicked into the long grass, never to see the light of day again. The term'heightened sensitivity is also used. Webreferred to in the past as Purdah. Publication of final election notice of alteration. "Rules around Purdah set out how public bodies, using public resources, should act during an election period. Undertake any activity that could be considered politically controversial or influential, or could give rise to criticism that public resources are being used for party political/campaigning purposes. We've contacted the council for comment. This was evident in 2010 when the Conservatives were the largest party but did not have a majority. local elections They may then wish to take advice from the Cabinet Offices Propriety & Ethics team. Consider whether you will allow visits from all candidates/political parties/campaign groups/other politicians and what format they will take. Tory Mayors unnecessary ward by-election set for June 30 Posted on May 25, 2022 by insidecroydon The South Croydon ward by-election will be held on Thursday, June 30, the council has announced. The pre-election period (previously referred toas purdah) refers to the period shortly before an election or referendum when specific restrictions on the activity of public bodies, civil servants and local government officials are put in place. Continue to plan campaigns post the pre-election period. Consider suspending the hosting of third party material or closing public forums if these are likely to breach the codeof practice. Particular care should be taken in relation to any such appointments, and consideration given to postponing the appointment process where it has the potential to be controversial. This effectively means not undertaking publicity or consultation events for those consultations that are still in progress, and which have a particular emphasis on: (a) Northern Ireland issues, or (b) local issues, or (c) impact on areas where elections are being held. The Hartlepool Borough Council tweet that was later deleted. Councillors are elected when successful candidates achieve the most transferred votes, with votes reallocated to other candidates when no single candidate achieves an overall threshold of votes and the candidate with the lowest number of votes drops out, and has their votes reallocated to second choice candidates. The Government published a Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity in 2011. Launch large-scale PR campaigns during this period. as an attempt by the government of the day to gag NHS bodies from publishing information it saw as a threat to its general election campaign.[19]. Councillors are still free to respond to enquiries received from the media in a personal capacity. Purdah When no party has an overall majority, it may take some time before a minority or coalition government is formed. Councils cannot make any decisions which could influence or prejudice the outcome of either their own elections or others taking place at the same time. Thursday 21 October 2021 Publication of the Notice of Election. Each case should be considered on its merits. Local

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