Updated: 13 June 2025
Plymouth City Council has taken the decision to cancel a venue booking made by a campaign group advocating for a Directly Elected Mayor, which was intended for a public information meeting.
It is important to note that the legislation for referendums is very different to an election. The decision to cancel the booking was made in accordance with the legal obligations placed on the Council under the Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2012 and the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity (2011). These regulations strictly limit the role of the Council in the period leading up to a referendum, particularly in relation to the use of Council resources.
Under Regulation 4 of the Referendum Regulations, the Council must not support or appear to support any campaign or position. The Code of Practice further advises that local authorities should not issue or facilitate any publicity that could be seen as seeking to influence voters, this includes suspending the hosting of material produced by third parties, or closing public forums. However, during the 25 days prior to the referendum certain premises maybe booked for referendum campaign purposes. The list of venues available can be found here.
Bookings for closed, private meetings or office based meetings are not impacted by the legislation.
To maintain the integrity of the referendum process and ensure a level playing field for all parties, the Council must act with strict neutrality. We appreciate the understanding of all campaign groups and members of the public as we uphold these important legal and ethical standards.