The Conservative Party has introduced a proposal to ban election campaign leaflets and posters published in foreign languages ahead of polling day. The party submitted an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill aiming to make it an offence to distribute election materials printed in languages “not native to the British islands.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the use of foreign-language campaign materials, stating that “campaigning with different messages in a foreign language is a deliberate ploy to exclude those who do not speak that language.” She added that the practice “is not in the service of integration” but rather seeks “to cynically drive a wedge between groups.”
This proposal follows controversy during the Gorton and Denton by-election last month, where reports indicated around 40 leaflets were distributed before polling day. Some of these materials sparked debate and criticism. For example, a Green Party leaflet was printed in Urdu and Bengali on one side and English on the other. Reform UK faced backlash over a “dear neighbour” leaflet, while Labour drew criticism for materials relating to tactical voting.
The amendment seeks to tighten regulations around election campaigning to ensure messages are delivered uniformly in English or recognized native languages, aiming to prevent division among voters based on language differences. The bill must still pass through legislative scrutiny before becoming law.
For more stories on this topic, visit our category page.