Politics, Elections & Campaigning

We’re one of the only UK firms to specialise in electoral law and give a holistic view of any political project.

Campaigning isn’t all waving placards and knocking on doors. It’s digital. It’s driven by Big Data. It’s constantly changing. It’s also heavily scrutinised.

We’ve advised on the biggest political issues of our time. Including Brexit, where we worked with Britain Stronger in Europe – the lead Remain campaign. Whatever your political objectives, we’re one of the few UK firms who can give charities, trade unions, political parties, local authorities and companies big picture advice.

We’re politically connected. We’re one of the best at what we do (so says the Legal 500). And our breadth of services is hard to match.

How we help

We advise on almost every legal issue affecting political organisations and campaigning charities. That includes local and national campaigning legislation, campaign finance, donations, and lobbying. We make sure your campaign content makes its mark, without getting you into legal hot water with defamation, advertising or election law.

We can support you with related issues too, such as data protection and dispute resolution. And we help campaigning charities navigate legal issues and regulations specifically affecting them.

It helps that we know the regulatory landscape inside out. We work with relevant regulators, including the Charity Commission, the Electoral Commission and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) amongst others to make sure your political work and campaigning always stands up to scrutiny.

Explore

New spending limits for non-party campaigners – what you need to know

Organisations and individuals that campaign ahead of an election (but are not standing candidates themselves) are known as ‘non-party campaigners’. …
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Quick reference guide to government relations: regulation of lobbying, political finance, ethics and anti-corruption

Bates Wells has partnered with Lexology to author its UK guide to government relations. Part of Lexology’s ‘Getting the Deal …
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Election ’24: How election law might affect your organisation

For many organisations, general elections are a chance to push forward their agenda and build relationships with potential future MPs, …
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Election ’24: Publishing advocacy materials or political statements

Here are some key issues to look out for when publishing advocacy materials or political statements ahead of a general …
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New Elections Bill – impact on charities and issue-based campaigners

The Bill aims to amend and supplement existing law applying to organisations that engage in issue-based campaigning and advocacy work …
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“We have been well served by a team at Bates Wells that is broad in its experiences, and deep in its own individual areas. We always feel like we are getting clear, concise, trusted guidance.”

Electoral, Chambers 2024

“The team worked on highly complex matters and have demonstrated a strong degree of ability to think round the issues.”

Electoral, Chambers 2024

“Bates Wells had a strong grasp of the detail, had the imagination to consider all the nuances and complexities, yet could explain this in simple language to a non-lawyer. They were quick to respond, clear about the process and followed through as promised.”

Electoral, Chambers 2024

“The elections practice at Bates Wells is well-reputed for its expertise in campaigning and party political matters and is capable of handling a broad range of issues in this space.”

Electoral, Legal 500 2024
Meet our team