Full Fact writes to all Parliamentary candidates: “if you don’t know, don’t bluff”

The deadline for candidate nominations for this December’s general election closed on Thursday 14 November at 4pm. 

This is a vital election and voters deserve good information. We are writing to all candidates with a simple challenge: get your facts right, back up your claims with evidence, and correct your mistakes when you get things wrong.

You can help by putting this challenge to your local candidates on doorsteps or hustings where you are and asking them to back up the claims they make to you. 

Find out who’s standing in your area, courtesy of Democracy Club

Dear candidate,

Thank you for putting yourself forward as a candidate in the election. We recognise the commitment it takes to play such an important part in democracy.

As a candidate, you are well aware of what is riding on next month’s vote. You know how vital it is that the public is able to trust those who are battling to represent them. What you say during this campaign matters.

Throughout this election, Full Fact, the UK’s independent fact checking charity, will be scrutinising claims made by politicians, journalists and other public figures, and asking those who get things wrong to correct the record. 

Full Fact was set up by a cross-party group of people from politics and journalism back in 2010. We work to reduce the harm caused by bad information in public life. This is the fourth general election we will have fact checked. We understand the pressure that candidates are under but we believe that every candidate can and should live up to three principles -

1. Check the evidence behind claims you make before you make them
2. Provide that evidence or point to the source
3. Correct any mistakes you might make, in public 

Some things are too important to bluff about.

Full Fact’s fact checkers will be monitoring for potentially false or misleading claims throughout the campaign. We will also respond to attempted election interference that tries to rob people of their vote, such as providing false information about where and how to vote.

All our work is published on fullfact.org and if you have any questions, or want to flag any false claims you have seen, you are welcome to get in touch.

Best wishes,

Will Moy
Chief Executive, Full Fact