The pre-election period is the time frame immediately before an election or referendum during which special restrictions apply to the communications and activities of central government, local authorities and other public bodies. It is often referred to by its traditional, informal name, “purdah.”

The word “purdah” derives from Urdu and Persian, meaning “curtain” or “veil”. Officially, the term has been dropped due to its relation to social segregation and the seclusion of women. The Cabinet Office’s guidance for civil servants issued in recent elections has not contained the word “purdah”. Official guidance instead refers to the timeframe as the “pre-election period.”

The purpose of the pre-election period is to ensure that public resources are not used for party political purposes and to avoid any government action that could influence the outcome of the vote. It is designed to maintain a level playing field for all competing parties, while ensuring the impartial civil service and government resources are not used as a political tool.

The pre-election period rules are governed by convention, codes of conduct and the guidance issued by central government.

For a general election, the beginning of the pre-election period is not specified in law. It has previously aligned with the dissolution of parliament. The pre-election period for UK government civil servants for the 2024 general election started at 00:01 am on 25 May 2024. (Parliament dissolved on 30 May).

For elections to the devolved legislatures, the pre-election period typically starts 25 working days before polling day. For local elections, the general convention is that the pre-election period should begin three weeks before polling day.

Pre-election period restrictions

During “purdah”, government departments are effectively ordered not to announce any major new policies, initiatives, or long-term decisions that could be seen as controversial or that might unfairly benefit the governing party.

Cabinet Office guidance issued ahead of the 2024 general election made clear that, during the election period, it is “customary for ministers to observe discretion in initiating any new action of a continuing or long term character.”

It adds: “Decisions on matters of policy on which a new government might be expected to want the opportunity to take a different view from the present government should be postponed until after the election, provided that such postponement would not be detrimental to the national interest or wasteful of public money.”

The ministerial code states that ministers “should ensure that government resources (which includes civil service activity) are not used for party political purposes.”

The pre-election period places a particular emphasis on the impartiality of the civil service. The Cabinet Office issues guidance for civil servants to ensure they do not undertake activity that could call into question their impartiality.

Official communications activity is heavily restricted. Government advertising campaigns are paused and press offices will only issue statements on essential government business. Departmental websites and social media channels are mostly limited to posting routine factual information.

The Cabinet Office guidance issued to civil servants ahead of the 2015 election stated that “social media and blogs updating the public with essential factual information may continue (eg transport delays)”.

It added that “social media and blogs which comment on government policies and proposals should not be updated for the duration of the election period.”

In a civil service blog piece before the 2015 general election, the cabinet secretary, Jeremy Heywood, wrote: “The restrictions on what we can do during purdah are really an extension of the core values we adhere to – integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

“There is perhaps no more important time than purdah for us to demonstrate – once again – that we are living up to those values, by doing what we always do: carrying on the work of government, and making sure we are ready to serve the incoming administration as we did the last.”

Under the Local Government Act 1986, in a pre-election period, local councils are already required not to “publish any material which, in whole or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party”.

What is still allowed during the pre-election period?

The pre-election period does not mean that government stops. Essential government business continues to be carried out. Ministers remain in post and are responsible for their departments.

Government bodies can still publish routine factual information and respond to public inquiries..

Cabinet Office guidance states: “During the election period, the government retains its responsibility to govern, and ministers remain in charge of their departments. Essential business (which includes routine business necessary to ensure the continued smooth functioning of government and public services) must be allowed to continue.”

Covid briefings and the 2021 local elections

Controversy emerged over the application of “purdah” rules in the run-up to the local elections in May 2021. The local elections and therefore the pre-election period coincided with national rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

During an otherwise routine Covid briefing on 5 April, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, alleged that London mayor Sadiq Khan was “blowing” Transport for London’s (TfL) finances through an “irresponsible” fares policy.

Speaking in Downing Street’s £2.6 million media briefing room, Johnson claimed that he had left the network’s finances in “robust good order” after finishing his second term as mayor in 2016.

Johnson was asked about potential government support for London’s pandemic recovery.

The prime minister stated: “As for the finances of TfL, I must respectfully remind you that I left them in robust good order. And it is not through any fault of my own that the current Labour mayor decided to blow them on an irresponsible fares policy.

“We’re doing our best to help them out and will continue to do so. But I’m afraid you’ve got to look at some of the decisions that were taken by the current Labour mayor as well.”

Labour argued that the comments breached the terms of the Local Government Act 1986.

In a letter to the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner accused Johnson of breaching the ministerial code in what she called a “political attack”.

Rayner said the ministerial code “clearly states that official facilities and resources may not be used for the dissemination of party political material”.

She wrote: “I am writing to express my concern about public resources being deliberately used during a pre-election period to influence the outcome of an election…

“The attack was political in nature, unprompted, and entirely unrelated to either the topic of the press conference or the question the prime minister was asked.”

Additional resources

• GOV.UK – What ‘purdah’ means for civil servants: https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2015/03/30/what-purdah-means-for-civil-servants/
• Local Government Association – Pre-election period: https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/communications-and-community-engagement/pre-election-period