The 2015 General Election campaign has officially begun with today (19th December) marking the start of the ‘long campaign’. As we gear up for next May, here are some key dates for your diary.
19th December marks the official start of the 2015 General Election campaign as limits on candidate spending come into force. During the ‘long campaign’, which runs from 19th December until 30th March, the amount each candidate can spend in their constituency is subject to strict limits. All candidates are limited to £30,700 of campaign spending, plus 9p per voter in rural (county) constituencies and 6p per voter in urban (borough) constituencies.
18th March will see the Chancellor George Osborne deliver his final Budget of the Parliament. Tensions within the Coalition and the ongoing pressure on public finances are likely to restrict how much the Chancellor is able to do in this final set-piece but he is sure to have something up his sleeve. However, he will only have two weeks to get the Budget through Parliament before it dissolves on March 30th.
30th March will mark the end of the Parliament as it dissolves ahead of the General Election. It will also see the start of the ‘short campaign’ during which candidates spending is restricted to £8,700 per constituency, plus 9p per voter in rural (county) constituencies and 6p per voter in urban (borough) constituencies.
7th May is General Election day. Barring some huge change between now and May the result is likely to be extremely close and the expectation across Westminster is of another hung parliament. If that is the case we may have a number of days to wait before we know who our next Government will be.
Connect Communications will be providing a comprehensive campaign monitoring service in the run up to the General Election on May 7th, providing clients with all the information they need to stay ahead of the game. Our Training service will also be running a series of training courses to help you ensure your organisation is prepared for whatever outcome emerges next May.
For more information about Connect Communications’ services in the run up to the General Election please email info@connectpa.co.uk or call 0207 592 9592.