New protections for councillors announced
Councillors continue to face significant and serious threats and intimidation, according to an LGA survey published ahead of its annual conference in Harrogate.
The survey found that more than one-fifth of councillors (22 per cent) have received a death threat or a threat of violence in their time in their role, with 23 per cent experiencing abuse serious enough to report to the police.
Just under three-quarters of councillors (73 per cent) had received abuse or intimidation, with around half (49 per cent) saying they felt the issue had got worse in the past 12 months, and one in 10 reporting someone attending their home in a way that felt intimidating or inappropriate.
One positive finding was that 57 per cent of respondents reported that their local authority’s arrangements for protecting councillors were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ effective.
The LGA’s long-running Debate Not Hate campaign has been calling for councillors’ home addresses to be withheld from public record and for the establishment of a new central unit in Whitehall to monitor and assess threats.
Speaking at a conference fringe on Debate Not Hate, Baroness Sharon Taylor, the Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government, confirmed that the Government would legislate “at the first available opportunity” to put “beyond doubt” that elected members do not have to publicly declare their addresses.
She said the findings from the LGA’s survey illustrated “the horrific price we pay for being in the public eye”, with “toxic” debate discouraging people from participating in local democracy, adding: “Abuse and intimidation aimed at our local politicians is completely unacceptable and has no part in our society.”
Cllr Marianne Overton, Chair of the LGA’s Civility in Public Life Steering Group, said the confirmation on not publishing home addresses was good news for councils, councillors and communities.
She added: “People must be able to represent their communities safely and without fear. We need cohesive communities that can debate differences in peace.
“Poor behaviour doesn’t just impact the individual, it hurts everyone in communities, reducing the opportunity for open debate on important local issues.”
Hannah Phillips, Civility Commission Manager at the Jo Cox Foundation, speaking at the same fringe event, highlighted the impact of abuse on women.
In the May local elections, more than half of candidates experienced abuse, and over half of women candidates said they avoided campaigning alone, compared with 20 per cent of men.
This has “important implications for diversity and the representative nature of our democracy”, she said.
Ms Phillips welcomed the continuation of the Debate Not Hate campaign, and also highlighted that costs arising from ensuring the safety of councillors are exempt from election spending limits
- Debate Not Hate is part of the LGA’s Civility in Public Life programme.