Guidance for National or Local Elections

Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union (The SU) is a registered charity and must comply with the Charity Commission regulations regarding campaigning and political activity. During a General Election, it must also comply with the Electoral Commission regulations. This means that The SU must be party politically neutral and impartial and adhere to the following guidelines. This applies to all elections, whether national or local.

Section 1: Students’ Union

1. Must not support, or oppose, any political party or candidate.
2. Must not donate funds to a political party or candidate or allow resources to be used.
3. Cannot become associated with/endorse any political party or candidate.
4. Cannot influence others to vote for or against a political party or candidate.
5. Must not directly compare SU policies or campaign issues with those of a particular party or candidate.
6. Must not express a party political view on behalf of the SU on any SU communications platform e.g. an official Instagram account.

Section 2: Officers, Trustees and Staff

1. Must not undertake any party political activity in work time, nor use SU resources (e.g. phones, laptops etc.) nor make room bookings that benefit a political party or candidate
2. Must not post party political comments on social media unless it is clearly indefinable as being made in in a personal capacity and does not directly link the Students’ Union to the views expressed. References to SU position(s) held should be removed from personal profiles during the election period with immediate effect so there is no direct link to the Students’ Union.
3. Anyone directly involved in campaigning activity for the SU and involved with a political party should declare this to the Chief Executive so that a conflict of interest can be assessed.

Section 3: Permissible Activity

1. Encourage students to register and vote in the election.
2. Continue campaigning on political issues that may be more or less similar to a political party, as long as we don’t draw the comparison or encourage support for a party or candidate.
3. Publish a manifesto to persuade political parties to adopt policies which we advocate, and approach candidates to ask their views on these issues.
4. Invite candidates / parties to public meetings, hustings or to take part in debates, provided that all candidates are given the same opportunities.
5. Cover the election in student media, but SU: Media coverage must be fair and balanced and not party political (see section 4 below also).
6. Educate the membership and raise awareness of issues that further The SU’s objectives.
7. All societies (including party political societies) have the same permissions during the Election period, and student groups can continue to make use of these in accordance with the usual guidelines (e.g. room/space bookings, leafleting, webpages etc.) but subject to restrictions specified under Section 5.

Section 4: SU: Media (see also appendix 1)

1. All Media content –published and broadcast -is deemed to be that of The SU and is therefore covered by these guidelines; editorial independence does not allow SU Media to be party political.
2. Features, debate, comment should be fair and balanced, but news reporting of party political activity can reflect actual events, but not be partisan.
3. This guidance also applies to opinion pieces and columns.

Section 5: Political and Campaigning Societies

1. Political societies explicitly associated with a political party can campaign for that party in and around The SU and use their ‘accounts’ to pay for campaign materials and other activity.
2. Candidates or other non-student party members or representatives cannot campaign in or around The SU; societies cannot organise open meetings to which they invite political parties or candidates.
3. Student societies can host closed meetings with their party’s candidates in The SU, but only society members can be allowed to attend (and external speaker forms must be submitted as usual).
4. Other single issue focussed campaign societies can continue to campaign as normal, but as with The SU as a whole, they cannot use account funds to campaign on a party political issue nor allow any SU resources (e.g. meeting rooms) to be used for the benefit of a particular party or candidate.

Section 6: Forums/Committees

1. Forums/Committees are deemed to be The Students’ Union and therefore cannot use any of their funds for party political activity or campaigning.
2. Forums/Committees must comply with the above guidance set out under Section 1, a) to f).

Appendix 1

Further Guidance for SU Media

Supplementary to Elections Guidance:

The Students’ Union is a registered charity. Student newspapers, magazines and broadcasts are deemed to be publications of the Students’ Union itself - and so must adhere to the same charity law guidelines set out for all SU political and campaigning activity.

During an Election this also includes Electoral Commission regulations.

The Election can be covered in student media, but SU Media coverage must be fair and balanced and not party political; editorial independence does not allow SU Media to be party political.

Features, debate, comment should be fair and balanced, but news reporting of party political activity can reflect actual events, but not be partisan. Below are some related points from the guidance to help understand in more detail what student media is able to do during a General Election:

Reporting & Debates

• Any issue may be reported and debated in student media (provided material complies with other legal requirements such as defamation law). This can include issues which the Union is not permitted to campaign on (i.e. not just issues which affect ‘students as students’) -as a way to advance the education of participating students. However, all debates must be facilitated in a politically neutral manner. This means student media must be edited so that it seeks to present all sides of a debate in a fair and balanced way.
• All sides of an argument should be properly represented in contentious debates -especially debates of a party- political nature.
• Student media can be used as part of a campaign on an issue that affects ‘students as students’ but it cannot campaign on an issue that does not meet this criterion.
• Where The Students’ Union has agreed a ‘corporate conclusion’ on a matter (i.e. a stance or position on a matter outside of the ‘student as students’ rule such as a particular policy or motion passed at UC), student media can be used to communicate this to members. However, this must be conducted in a standard, consistent and balanced manner which does not stray into ‘campaigning’. Broadcasting There are also rules around political balance from Ofcom which are relevant to student media broadcasts. The main principle is around ensuring impartiality.
• If an electoral candidate takes part in an item about their constituency / electoral area, then broadcasters must offer the opportunity to take part in such item, to all candidates within the constituency. Broadcasters should make sure that all representing parties with previous significant support, or where there is evidence of significant current support, are invited. This also applies to independent candidates. However, if a candidate refuses or is unable to participate, the item can go ahead.
• Any non-political programmes with appearances from electoral candidates that were scheduled before the election period (election period begins with the dissolution of parliament) may continue but no new appearances can be arranged or broadcast.
• Where an electoral candidate is taking part in a programme on any matter, after the election has been called, they must not be given the opportunity to make constituency points about the electoral area for which they are standing, when no other candidates will be given a similar opportunity.
• Discussion and analysis of election issues must finish when the polls open (opening of actual polling stations).
• Broadcasters may not publish results of any opinion poll on polling day itself until the election polls close.
• Any constituency report or discussion must include a list of all candidates standing, giving first names, surnames and the name of the party they represent, or if standing independently, the fact that they are an independent candidate. This must be conveyed in sound and/or vision.