Last Wednesday Newington's Director of Public Affairs, Chris White, hosted a conference call on "What does purdah mean for your campaign?". This article summarises the key points to consider.
We are now in an unusual ‘double’ period of purdah, the period of time immediately before elections when specific restrictions on the activity of civil servants are in place. We have already been in purdah since the end of March for local elections, which includes those for the new English Regional Mayors taking place across six areas, including Manchester, Liverpool and the West Midlands. That will now overlap with the pre-election period for the General Election, which begun on Friday 21 April and will last until polling day on Thursday 8 June.
During this period, whilst Ministers remain in charge of their departments and essential business is carried on, the Civil Service Code stipulates that Government should observe discretion in initiating any new actions. Government should also not decide issues of policy that a new incoming government might want to take a differing view on, unless postponement would be detrimental to the national interest or deemed to waste public money.
In recent weeks we have seen this tested, with the Government ordered to publish their new plans to tackle air pollution by the High Court. Mr Justice Garnham said that premature deaths from nitrogen dioxide pollution meant that publication was “necessary to safeguard public health,” and the “exceptional circumstances” meant that purdah guidelines could be waived. This is the exception that proves the rule. The vast majority of announcements, access to civil servants and engagements with Ministers have been deferred until after Thursday 8 June.
So if Government and Ministers are out on the campaign trail and not taking meetings, what can businesses do until Thursday 8 June? Some businesses will actively take part in the campaign, whilst others will seek to engage with candidates on the campaign trail through site visits. Remember that whilst candidates are keen for photo opportunities, they must be right for your business not just for the party concerned.
If this isn’t your cup of tea, take the election campaign period to review your own public affairs and communications objectives, and whether they are achieving what you want. Do you need to make adjustments, and do you have strength and depth in your relationships to mitigate any changes in Government personnel caused by an upcoming reshuffle?
Finally, consider whether you can use the time to engage with other stakeholders you might not normally prioritise. Can you do more local level engagement and then present this to the new Government, or perhaps it is the time to hold internal briefings for your own staff to secure greater internal buy-in for what you are trying to achieve.
Newington is working with a number of our clients on these issues and we would be delighted to discuss how we can help you consider the best way forward for your business
