The evidence graph

How identity is decided

A thing in the graph is identified by the key the register that knows it best has already issued: a Parliament member id, a Companies House number, an OCDS notice id, an ONS constituency code. A thing that only one register knows keeps that register’s key. Nothing is invented and nothing is merged on the strength of a name looking like another name.

A name from a register is tied to an entity by one of four methods, and the method is stored with it:

identifier

the register's own identifier

exact name

exact name within one register

declared

declared mapping in Civometry's registry — for parties, which Parliament and the Electoral Commission name differently and neither keys. A person wrote each mapping down; it is in the registry, not inferred.

normalised name

normalised name, unique match — used once: an Electoral Commission regulated donee is tied to a Commons member when, after removing honorifics and the “MP” the Commission appends, exactly one member has that name. Zero or several matches leave the donee unresolved.

Company officers are deliberately not linked to people: the officers table holds names only, so any link would rest on name similarity alone.