Petition · past parliament
Data quoted as facts in political ads must be supported by documentary evidence
Rejected
12 signatures
What the petition asks
The EU referendum campaign was marred by misleading presentation of data, most notably the "£350m a week paid to the EU" which the ONS publicly refuted. There should be a requirement that data presented as fact should be capable of objective verification, and this should be enforced independently.
The Code of Advertising Practice says "marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove all claims, whether direct or implied, that are capable of objective substantiation" and "no marketing communication should mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise". The FCA requires adverts for financial products to be "clear, fair and not misleading". Similar rules should apply to political advertising where factual claims are being made.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 25 Jun 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 8 Jul 2016 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
12
Status
Rejected
Rejected
8 Jul 2016
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.