Ahead of Thursday’s local, London mayoral and police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Electoral Commission and the Jo Cox Foundation are calling for no abuse towards candidates.
They have urged voters to treat candidates in the upcoming elections with dignity and respect and to not engage in behaviour that may constitute harassment or intimidation. The LGA points to recent research that three quarters (75 per cent) of councillors in England and Wales experienced some form of intimidation or abuse during the 2023 local election campaign. In January, the LGA released online, ‘Seven principles for safer canvassing: A guide for councillors and candidates’.
A survey by the Electoral Commission found that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of candidates at the last set of local elections experienced someone intentionally making them feel unsafe. About one in eight, 12 per cent of those who experienced harassment reported this to the police.
The LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, is warning that rising abuse towards local politicians is a threat to democracy and could be putting off good people from becoming councillors. The LGA says 82 per cent of councillors reported feeling personally at risk in 2023, up 9 per cent from the year before. Hence the LGA’s ‘Debate Not Hate’ campaign to help to tackle the issue. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the role of councillors, encourage healthy debate and improve the responses and support for local politicians facing abuse and intimidation.
Although most abuse is at a low level, a growing number of councillors have experienced more severe abuse, including stalking and threats of violence, some of which has resulted in criminal prosecutions, the LGA adds.
Marianne Overton, a Lincolnshire independent councillor, chairs the LGA’s Civility in Public Life Steering Group. She said: “Being a councillor is one of the most unique and rewarding roles you can have. It’s really important that everyone participating in these local elections are treated with respect, focussing on the debate itself and free of abuse and intimidation.
“It is profoundly disturbing to hear reports of councillors being harassed and intimidated whilst doing their job. It cannot become the norm that councillors need to install CCTV and panic alarms in their houses to feel safe whilst fulfilling their democratic duty.
“Anyone, regardless of their background or political affiliation, should feel safe to become a councillor. We must do all we can to stamp out abuse from public life and encourage healthy debate if we are to safeguard the future of our local democracy.”
