An attack ad on Google run by the Conservatives broke Google rules because of an error by Google, Sky News can reveal.

The ad was shown as the top result on a Google search for "Labour" as the Labour Party launched its manifesto.

It initially appeared without a disclaimer, in breach of Google's terms and conditions which state that "all election ads in the EU... show a disclosure that identifies who paid for the ad".

Image: The advertisement did not initially run with a disclaimer showing who had funded it

The ad directed people to the website labourmanifesto.co.uk, which attacked Labour for planning, among other things, "higher taxes for you and your family".

The headline text of the ad claimed that "Corbyn's Labour Manifesto" would cost "£2,400 more tax, every year" - a figure which has been criticised as inaccurate.


It was marked in small grey text as an ad, but in early versions did not reveal who had paid for it.

Later versions of the ad declared that it was paid for by The Conservative & Unionist Party.

A Google source confirmed to Sky News that the failure to correctly display the ad was an error by the company.

Google has been facing scrutiny over political advertising in recent weeks, following the decision by Twitter to ban all political advertising.

Image: The website run by the Conservative Party

The firm announced on Wednesday that it would restrict advertising on political advertising but stopped short of banning all political ads on its platform.

The Conservative Party and the Labour Party did not respond to a request for comment.

The Electoral Commission recommends that, in the interests of transparency, political parties imprint their online advertising to show who produced it.

Under existing British law, any candidates, political parties or non-party campaigners are required to have an imprint on any of their printed election campaigning material to show that they have produced it.

A digital imprint regime would have introduced a similar requirement for Google, YouTube, and similar social media platforms used by campaigners - but the government failed to introduce these protections in time for the election.

Image: Another advertisement ended up running on Labour List, an online magazine supporting the Labour Party

As part of the Conservative campaign, an advertisement, served automatically through Google Ads, also appeared on Labour List - a website supporting the Labour Party.

This advertisement, which was placed based on the content of the page around it, again claimed that the Labour Party had "no plan for Brexit".

Labour List's editor, Sienna Rodgers, told Sky News the site blocked the advertisement as soon as their staff had seen it.

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