Purdah (/ˈpɜːrdə/) is the period in the United Kingdom between the announcement of an election and the formation of the new elected government. It affects civil servants, who must be politically impartial,[1] preventing central and local government from making announcements about any new or controversial government initiatives that could be seen to be advantageous to any candidates or parties in the forthcoming election. Purdah does not apply to candidates for political office. Where a court determines that actual advantage has been given to a candidate, this may amount to a breach of Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986.
The name has been criticised for its connection to the "sexist" practice of purdah,[2][3] and various public bodies and departments have dropped it in favour of terms like "pre-election period" and "heightened sensitivity".[4][5][6][7]
- ^ White, Isobel (30 March 2015). "Election 'purdah' or the pre-election period" (PDF). Parliament and Constitution Centre. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2015.
- ^ Middleton, Lucy (6 November 2019). "Saying 'purdah' is 'sexist, racist and offensive' says Women's Party candidate". Metro. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ Meakin, Lucy (6 November 2019). "Bank of England drops use of word purdah on gender grounds". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ Shipton, Martin (23 March 2007). "'Purdah' banned as Assembly poll jargon". WalesOnline. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
The term "purdah" – long used by civil servants to describe the period leading up to an election – has been banned during the Welsh Assembly election because it might offend Muslims and other religious groups.
- ^ "A short guide to publicity during the pre-election period". Local Government Association. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
The previously used term 'purdah' came into popular use across central and local government to describe the period of time immediately before elections or referendums when specific restrictions on communications activity are in place. The terms 'pre-election period' and 'heightened sensitivity' are now used instead.
- ^ Kidd, Patrick. "Diary: Drawing veil over purdah". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
Officials in Whitehall have been told that "purdah", which is derived from the Urdu for a veil or curtain to ensure women's modesty and has been used by the civil service since the Second World War, reeks of colonialism and is a tad sexist. It should be replaced by "pre-election period" or "heightened sensitivity".
- ^ "Researching in pre-election sensitivity periods". User Research manual. Department for Education. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.