Preventing disinformation in elections: co-hosted with Reform Political Advertising

On 2 May, the APPG for Fair Elections held an event entitled: Preventing Disinformation in UK Elections in collaboration with Reform Political Advertising, bringing together parliamentarians from across the political spectrum, experts and civil society organisations.

There was broad agreement on the need to strengthen the UK’s response to electoral disinformation. False and misleading political content is already distorting our democracy, while new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are making it easier to produce, target and spread disinformation at scale, undermining trust in politics.

This is particularly concerning in an increasingly fragmented political system, where under First Past the Post, relatively small shifts in public opinion can affect the outcome of an election. The rules governing political advertising and campaign communications have not kept pace with the scale of vulnerability our democracy now faces.

The Representation of the People Bill presents an important opportunity to address these gaps. Following the policy work and parliamentary engagement around the event, amendments are being tabled that cover many of the key recommendations put forward by members of the APPG for Fair Elections and supporters of Reform Political Advertising.

With the Bill now at Report Stage, Parliament has a clear opportunity to improve transparency, strengthen safeguards and reduce the risk that disinformation undermines confidence in future elections.