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British Polling Council
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British Polling Council

Body whose member polling firms follow common disclosure rules for published polls.

Launched on 15 November 2004, the British Polling Council sets disclosure standards for polling organisations that publish representative surveys.

Last refreshed: 22 October 2026

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Background

The British Polling Council is an association of polling organisations that publish representative surveys. It promotes transparency by setting common disclosure rules for members and defining what information should accompany a public poll.

Members publish core details with their results, then release fuller methods and computer tables within two working days. This lets readers inspect how a poll was conducted and how its estimates were produced. The council's significance lies in disclosure rather than producing one collective poll: its rules give published findings a common standard against which readers can assess them. That role remains useful across political and social polling, especially when reported differences are close enough to demand scrutiny of methods and margins of error.

Common Questions
How do British Polling Council rules help readers assess voting-intention polls?
The rules expose fieldwork, sample and weighting details so readers can judge how each estimate was produced.Source: British Polling Council
How quickly must British Polling Council members publish full poll tables?
Members must publish or provide full methods and computer tables within two working days.Source: British Polling Council
What must British Polling Council members disclose?
They must disclose the client, fieldwork dates, interview method, population, percentages, sample size and geographic coverage.Source: British Polling Council
What is the British Polling Council?
It is an association of polling organisations that promotes transparency in published representative polls.Source: British Polling Council
Source Material

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.