Platform Transparency
Common Ground UK runs automated checks on its own platform to verify security, data integrity, editorial standards, and legal compliance. Every result's date and overall outcome is recorded permanently and published here. Full check-by-check detail is retained for 12 months.
Last audit
21 September 2026
15:23
All checks passing, 5 advisory
Full detail, including anything not yet passing, is below by category, nothing here is hidden or summarised away.
Checks that platform access controls, authentication, and data protection measures are correctly configured.
6/6 core tables accessible: issues, result_snapshots, accountability_gaps, manifesto_area_summaries, mps, mp_votes
Relevance: ISO 27001 A.9, Cyber Essentials: Access Control
Service key present and not public
Relevance: ISO 27001 A.9.4, Cyber Essentials: Access Control
Admin token is set
Relevance: ISO 27001 A.9.4, Cyber Essentials: Access Control
Rate limit table accessible (20 current entries)
Relevance: Cyber Essentials: Boundary Firewalls, ISO 27001 A.12
Checks that all platform data is complete, accurate, and the core accountability functions are working.
All 14 areas have live questions
Relevance: Editorial Standards, Platform Completeness
No question with real parliamentary data has yet reached the 100-vote threshold. This is expected at current vote volume, not a fault, the first permanent record will appear automatically once one does.
Relevance: Platform Core Function, Hansard Citation Integrity
Synthesis history records present
Relevance: Commercial Data Layer, B2B Report Quality
No stale drafts found
Relevance: Editorial Standards, Content Freshness
1% of live questions have a linked parliamentary vote (3 of 238), this rises as questions are manually linked, not automatically
Relevance: Accountability Gap Activation, Platform Core Value
Checks that questions are sourced, balanced, and that the platform is meeting its editorial standards.
1 live question(s) have no source reference
Relevance: Editorial Standards, PSHE Quality Mark, Transparency
All 14 areas have synthesis summaries
Relevance: Platform Completeness, Commercial Data Layer
Audit log active with 105 entries
Relevance: ISO 27001 A.12.4, Accountability, Evidence of Practice
Checks that user data, MP data, and platform records are being managed correctly.
4 total subscribers, 4 confirmed
Relevance: GDPR Article 7, ICO Registration, Data Subject Rights
652 MP records present
Relevance: Platform Core Function, Constituency Index Readiness
Never manually verified, or verification is incomplete, check the PMQs admin page
Relevance: Outreach Accuracy, Public Trust
Parliament is in conference recess until Monday 12 October. PMQs resumes the following Wednesday. Last session: 09/09/2026.
Relevance: Platform Freshness, Public Accountability Record
Status of legal and regulatory requirements including ICO registration and security certifications.
Manual check required: confirm ICO registration at ico.org.uk. Required before scaling.
Relevance: UK GDPR Article 30, ICO Requirement, Legal Obligation
Manual check required: confirm Companies House registration. Blocks Stripe live mode and journalist outreach.
Relevance: Legal Entity, Stripe Compliance, Outreach Readiness
Not yet certified. Target within 6 months. Approx cost: £300. Required for schools programme.
Relevance: Schools Programme, Government Contracts, ISO 27001 Pathway
Independent Methodology Panel
Named, credentialled academics with published expertise in democratic engagement, electoral statistics, or political science review the platform's methodology, including the exact scoring logic behind every published figure. Their reviews are published here in full, unedited.
The Independent Methodology Panel is being formed. Reviews will appear here once published.
These automated checks are run regularly by the platform administrator. They cover security configuration, data completeness, editorial standards, and regulatory compliance. Every result's outcome is logged permanently and cannot be edited. Full check-by-check detail is retained for 12 months, after which a permanent summary (date, and pass, advisory, and fail counts) remains on record.
Advisory items are areas where manual verification is required or where the platform is working toward a standard. Failed items are actively investigated and resolved.
Common Ground UK is working toward Cyber Essentials certification and ICO registration. These will be reflected in this page once complete.
Questions are never deleted once published. Some close because their comparison window ends; a small number close because they did not attract enough public interest within a fair period, always after at least 60 days with genuinely no votes. Every closed question, and the reason it closed, stays visible in the public Archive.