Don’t throw away your election leaflets, urges the University of Bristol

The University of Bristol has appealed to members of the public across the UK to donate election campaign material they have received, rather than throwing it away. The request comes ahead of Thursday’s general election, as Britons will throw away leaflets they have received over the past month.

The donations will add to the UK’s largest archive of political material, helping to capture Britain’s political history for future generations. The collection has been maintained by the University of Bristol since the 1970s and dates back to 1892.

Nicky Sugar, Head of Special Collections at the University of Bristol, said: “The Election Archive contains a fascinating collection of campaign material. This collection is of great national and international importance, providing an insight into Britain’s political history.

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“It covers all constituencies and parties, really capturing the issues of the day. With the public’s help, we hope to once again collect a wide range of election leaflets, manifestos and other advertising for the upcoming General Election.

“We cover all 650 sites in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, so we need help from all over the world. If you feel able to help, please donate any election materials you come across instead of throwing them away.”

Those wishing to donate their election-related leaflets are encouraged to post them after the election with a note of the postcode where the items were delivered to: Special Collections, Arts and Social Sciences Library, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TJ . Any personal information such as names and addresses printed on materials is redacted before being added to the archive.

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