We are a politically neutral organisation. We welcome support for electoral advertising regulation for factual claims and our ad code from all parties and candidates. In 2024 we approached mayor candidates to support our ad code. 6 London mayor candidates including Sadiq Khan (Labour), Rob Blackie (Liberal Democrats) and Zoë Garbett (Green Party) supported it as well as others including Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester mayor), Tracy Brabin (Mayor of West Yorkshire), Plaid Cymru and The Green Party.
Marina Purkiss, Political Commentator
Gina Miller, Leader, True & Fair Party
Carla Denyer, Co-leader of The Green Party
Lord Puttnam, Chair of the Democracy and Digital Technology Committee, 2020
Rob Buxton, Yorkshire Party Leader
Liz Saville Roberts MP, Plaid Cymru.
Candidates and parties that have signed up to our advertising code in 2024 include:
“The Liberal Democrats and I are happy to sign up to the responsible advertising pledge. Truth and accuracy in political campaigning are essential for our democracy.”
Luisa Porritt, Liberal Democrats London Mayor Candidate (commenting on our campaign pledge for the 2021 election).
“Amid heightened threats of disinformation and fake news, the public clearly recognises the need for proper regulation of electoral adverts, but there is currently no mechanism to hold those responsible to account. If we are to restore trust in politics and ensure voters can make informed choices, it’s essential we take this issue much more seriously.”
Diedre Brock, SNP.
“The Women’s Equality Party is working to ensure technology is used for good. That cannot happen while our analogue laws drift ever further from today’s digital realities. Transparency and oversight are essential first steps to countering the spread of misinformation and the polarising impacts of microtargeting. We therefore support the aims of Reform Political Advertising’s campaign.”
Mandu Reid, Leader of the Women’s Equality Party.
“Recent years have seen a decline in the value placed on truth, honesty and openness in political campaigning – but these have never been more crucial. To compound things, regulation in political advertising has thus far been left behind by rapid technological change. We therefore fully support the Reform Political Advertising and its blueprint for fairer, more transparent campaigning and call on other parties to do the same.”
Julie Girling, Interim Leader of Renew
“In an era of populism and eroding trust in politics, we should all do our best to raise the standard of debate. Our politics is so broken right now and we are determined to change it. All the parties should join with us in signing up to these political advertising standards.”
Chris Leslie, former MP, The Independent Group for Change
We’ve also had a wide range of support from various organisations that have helped us raise awareness of the campaign including The Sun, The Times and The Guardian. Since launching our international framework we’ve also had coverage with various international media owners including:
In the UK one of our early supporters was the UK advertising trade body ISBA who provided us with this supporting statement:
“ISBA supports Reform Political Advertising‘s campaign for content regulation for political advertising, placing it on the same regulatory footing as commercial advertising and holding it to the same standards.”
Phil Smith, Director General, ISBA
We’ve also had supporting statements from many organisations in the ad industry including IMRG and econsultancy.
After approaching the Australian advertiser trade body, the AANA, they have agreed to support modernising the rules around political advertising and issued this statement:
“In relation to political advertising, the AANA supports the call for the harmonisation of political advertising regulation in line with our stated object that advertising should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and a sense of fairness to competitors.”
John Broome, CEO of the AANA
If as an individual or on behalf of your organisation you’d like to support Reform Political Advertising please email Alex at alex (dot) tait (at) reformpoliticaladvertising (dot) org.
