The long read on the week in political advertising

Budget week. Labour's pre-Budget sign-up ads ("John Healey will deliver the Budget on 28 October") gave way to the Andy Burnham "new path" message from midweek. Reform UK ran about 130 ads, still led by its £250 energy-bill pledge, and opened an attack on what it called Labour's new HMRC powers. The Conservatives answered the Budget with a defence-spending video and the "Cut benefits, fund defence" petition, plus polling-day ads for Thursday's by-elections. The SNP switched to energy and independence.

Reform's pledge ads carried the week's reach, the Conservatives ran by-election and petition ads side by side, and Labour started collecting sign-ups ahead of the Budget.

Reform scaled back after its early-October surge, the Conservatives ran their busiest week on tax and "unite the right", and the Greens turned their by-election campaign into a membership drive.

Reform stayed at about 2,000 ads a week, the Conservatives launched their inheritance-tax pledge, and Labour and the Greens advertised through the Holborn & St Pancras by-election.

Labour advertised its first conference under Andy Burnham, Reform reached its peak volume with personal pledge cards from senior figures, and the Conservatives relied on petitions.

Reform multiplied its ad volume six-fold, the Greens ran their largest by-election campaign in this period, and Labour began advertising ahead of conference.

The Greens put the most effort into the Holborn & St Pancras by-election, Reform introduced the pledge cards that drove its autumn surge, and the Conservatives leaned on petitions.

As Parliament returned with Andy Burnham as Prime Minister, Reform pressed for a general election, the Conservatives went straight at Burnham, and Labour and the Greens opened the Holborn & St Pancras by-election.

Reform's general-election petition dominated a quiet week, the Conservatives launched sentencing and Jackdaw petitions, and the Greens and Labour opened their Holborn & St Pancras campaigns.

Most party pages were silent in the last full week of August, leaving Reform's general-election petition as the main paid message on Facebook and Instagram.

Labour's page ran a sign-up drive presenting Andy Burnham as doing politics differently, Reform kept up its general-election petition and border messaging, and the Conservatives petitioned against early prisoner release.

Labour's page switched to a Burnham-centred sign-up campaign, Reform added a detain-and-deport petition to its election petition, and the Conservatives attacked Labour over BP's exit from the North Sea.

Only Reform and the Conservatives advertised: Reform opened its Operation Fortress border campaign and the Conservatives ran petitions on early prisoner release and North Sea oil and gas.

The Greens flooded the Greater Manchester mayoral campaign before the 30 July vote, Reform pressed its no-mandate attack on Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and Labour's few ads promoted his pledge to end rough sleeping.

Labour's ads began presenting Andy Burnham as Prime Minister, Reform launched a high-volume no-mandate campaign calling for a general election, and the Greens opened their Greater Manchester mayoral push.

The Greens launched a Greater Manchester mayoral campaign for 30 July, Reform ran vox-pop videos backing Nigel Farage, and Labour started advertising Andy Burnham.

Reform began advertising a Clacton by-election, the Greens spent heavily on a Norfolk vote, and the Conservatives ran Kemi Badenoch clips and a ward campaign.

Reform switched to a general-election petition, the Conservatives attacked Ed Miliband and Andy Burnham, and the Greens began campaigns in Greater Manchester and Norfolk.

Labour and the Greens campaigned for the Greater Manchester vote on 30 July, Reform launched a crime-policy carousel and a general-election petition, and the Conservatives ran no ads.

Reform's call for Keir Starmer to resign ended, Labour and the Greens turned to the Greater Manchester mayoralty, and the SNP campaigned on bills and food prices for a vote on 18 June.

Plaid Cymru ran the most ads of any party, the Greens and Labour competed to be the anti-Reform choice in Gorton & Denton, and the Conservatives began postal-vote drives for May.

Plaid Cymru began framing the Senedd election as a contest with Reform, Labour and the Greens each claimed to be the only way to stop Reform in Gorton & Denton, and the Conservatives turned to farming.

The Greens and Labour began competing for anti-Reform votes in Gorton & Denton, Reform put £20K–£25K behind a single survey ad, and Plaid kept up a high volume of low-cost ads in Wales.

Only three parties advertised: Plaid Cymru at high volume with a new rail petition, Labour with a fresh set of national videos from 22 January, and the SNP with public-services ads.

Plaid Cymru set out a Reform-or-Plaid choice for the 7 May Senedd election at high volume, the SNP launched a new set of public-services ads, and the other parties were almost silent.

Plaid Cymru relaunched its message that May is a choice between Plaid and Reform with a larger wave of ads, Labour's winter cost-of-living ads came to an end, and Reform ran a small council-focused membership drive.

Over the New Year, Reform ran an attack video and a council-themed membership drive, while Labour, Plaid Cymru, the SNP and the Conservatives mostly kept December ads running.

In a quiet Christmas week, Plaid Cymru ran the most ads, Labour kept its cost-of-living ads going, and the Conservatives put a single well-funded video behind a claimed u-turn on farm tax.

Reform put large budgets behind its conference and a law-and-order message, Labour promoted its family policies, and Plaid Cymru began a bilingual leadership campaign.

Reform launched a petition on Afghan resettlement under the previous government, Labour kept up its record-in-government ads, and the Conservatives ran a single welfare petition.

Labour was the only party with ads in the library this week, mixing its record in government with attacks on Nigel Farage.

Labour advertised its record around the first anniversary of the 4 July 2024 election, while Plaid Cymru ran a handful of funding ads and no other party showed any.

Labour combined attacks on Nigel Farage with member recruitment and a water-pollution message, and Plaid Cymru wound down a set of membership ads aimed at Labour.

The Conservatives presented the winter fuel U-turn as a win for their supporters, Labour advertised asylum, rail and bus policies, and Plaid Cymru kept up its membership drive.

The Conservatives claimed the winter fuel U-turn for their campaign, Labour switched from attacking Farage to announcing policies, and Plaid Cymru moved from an economy plan to membership ads.