Waltham Forest Tory leader Emma Best has accused the town hall of breaking electoral sensitivity rules by conducting its annual resident survey during purdah, reports Marco Marcelline

The Tories have accused the council of breaking purdah rules, Credit: WF Conservatives

Conservative councillors have accused Waltham Forest Council of breaching strict pre‑election rules after contractors carrying out the borough’s annual Resident Insight Survey (RIS) were seen knocking on doors in Chingford during the purdah period.

Purdah refers to the pre‑election period of sensitivity five to six weeks before the election when local governments are banned from making announcements or decisions that could influence voters.

MEL Research Ltd is commissioned by the council to run the RIS, which gathers residents’ views on Waltham Forest services. Fieldwork began on Monday, 23rd February and continued through April.

The questionnaire also covers topics such as community cohesion, crime, health, cost of living and housing. It does not mention political parties or elected representatives.

Waltham Forest Tory leader Emma Best, wrote to the council’s chief executive Linzi Roberts-Egan and the corporate director of governance Mark Hynes on Friday, 3rd April, saying she believed officers were “literally canvassing” by asking residents questions about the council during an election period.

Pointing to the first line of the survey’s introductory letter posted to residents – which states the council is “committed to providing the most relevant and highest quality public services” – she said the RIS constituted “political messaging”. She also said the questionnaire itself “suggests policy areas that voters should consider”.

Emails seen by the Echo show Hynes rejecting Cllr Best’s view that contractors were canvassing, adding that the RIS is a “long‑running, business‑as‑usual activity” that does not breach purdah.

He wrote: “This activity does not breach pre‑election publicity rules. There is no mention of any councillor or political party in the survey… The activity cannot reasonably be interpreted as contravening Sections 2 and 6 of the Local Government Act 1986.”

Chief Executive Linzi Roberts‑Egan backed his position, saying the council’s stance was “clear” and that the RIS would continue.

The council’s cover letter to residents, posted to them, emphasises that responses are anonymous and used only for research purposes.

Cllr Best maintains that the activity constitutes canvassing because it involves “direct, personal interaction” with residents about matters relating to the council, adding that even without explicit political references, the timing and content of the survey could “influence” voter behaviour.

A council spokesperson said: “The annual RIS is conducted every year to gauge residents’ views on their local area and the services on which they rely. It is not carried out by council officers but by employees of MEL Research, a well-established and respected independent organisation that works with many other councils, including Essex and Newham, as well as third-sector organisations like Barnado’s and the NSPCC.

“The fieldwork for this year’s survey began in February, well before the start of the pre-election period in late March. Legal advice was sought before the work began, and the steer was that the activity does not breach pre-election publicity rules. There is no mention of any councillor or political party in the survey – it is a business-as-usual activity for the council.”

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