Plymouth Knows Better has updated their legal campaign imprint following a police report – revealing that Labour councillor Chris Cuddihee is running the operation.
Plymouth Knows Better is campaigning against letting Plymouth residents vote for their own directly-elected leader. The group wants to keep the current system where councillors (and not Plymouth citizens) choose the city's leader behind closed doors.
After Plymouth Plus exclusively revealed that this anti-Mayor campaign had been reported to police for failing to properly identify its backers, sharp-eyed readers noticed the group quietly updated their Facebook page with new information.
What is an imprint and why does it matter?
An imprint is a legal requirement for all political campaign materials. It tells voters exactly who is behind the campaign and who paid for it. According to the Electoral Commission, "imprints help you understand who is trying to influence you with campaign material."
Without proper imprints, voters can't tell if campaign messages come from official parties, independent groups, or individuals. This makes it impossible to spot potential bias or conflicts of interest.
All political leaflets, online ads, posters, and social media content must clearly show who created them and who paid for them. Failing to include proper imprints can lead to police investigations and prosecution.
The missing piece revealed
Until this week, Plymouth Knows Better's imprint was incomplete. It simply said the campaign was "promoted by Plymouth Knows Better" at Plymouth Labour's Lockyer Street headquarters – but it failed to name an individual promoter, as required by law.
Now, Labour councillor Chris Cuddihee appears as the named promoter, finally revealing who has been running the anti-Mayor campaign behind the scenes.
Who is Chris Cuddihee?
Chris Cuddihee is a Labour activist who was elected as a Plymouth City Councillor in 2024. He works as a National Policy Forum representative for Labour South West and previously managed Luke Pollard MP's successful re-election campaign.
However, Cuddihee's council attendance record raises questions about his commitment to local representation. With a 58% attendance rate, he ranks among Plymouth's worst councillors for showing up to meetings. Council records show he has attended just 15 of the 26 meetings he was expected to attend since taking office.
A pattern of compliance issues
At Tamerton Foliot's May Fair, Plymouth Knows Better materials initially appeared without any imprint at all. Campaign workers were spotted hastily adding handwritten legal information using a Sharpie permanent marker pen after the oversight was discovered.
Contrast with opposition
The revelation comes nearly a month after Plymouth Knows Better launched on April 28th. This delay contrasts sharply with their opponents, the Mayor for Plymouth campaign, who clearly identified Plymouth resident Angus Forbes as their backer and funder from day one.
A supporter of Mayor For Plymouth supporter said:
"These are seasoned political operators who apparently can't manage basic legal requirements.
"Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised – the same old politicians have failed a generation of Plymothians with this kind of approach."
The controversy highlights broader questions about transparency in local political campaigns and whether voters deserve to know immediately who is trying to influence their decisions, rather than discovering the truth weeks later following police complaints.
We have previously contacted Devon and Cornwall Police for comment and are still awaiting their response.
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