Petition · past parliament
Make political claims subject to advertising standards laws.
Closed
10,762 signatures
What the petition asks
A company making false claims in order to sell its products is liable to prosecution. Any politician, candidate or political party making false claims should also be prosecuted.
Government response · 2 May 2017
There are already laws prohibiting false statements about candidates. Beyond this, it is for rival campaigners to challenge inaccurate arguments as part of the normal course of political debate.
The Representation of the People Act 1983 sets out that a person is guilty of an illegal practice if, before or during an election, they aim to affect the result by making or publishing a false statement in relation to a candidate’s personal character or conduct.
The accuracy of arguments advanced in the course of an election or referendum is not subject to regulation. It is for rival campaigners to challenge and rebut arguments they perceive to be inaccurate as part of the normal course of political debate.
Cabinet Office
The accuracy of arguments advanced in the course of an election or referendum is not subject to regulation. It is for rival campaigners to challenge and rebut arguments they perceive to be inaccurate as part of the normal course of political debate.
Cabinet Office
Timeline
| 7 Feb 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 28 Apr 2017 | Passed 10,000 signatures, requiring a government response |
| 2 May 2017 | Government responded |
| 2 May 2017 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
10,762
Status
Closed
Opened
7 Feb 2017
Closed
2 May 2017
Response
2 May 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.