Local government officials are experiencing severe abuse, endangering democracy, according to groups that represent them. The list of offences includes assault, stalking, harassment and even the delivery of a dead rat through a letterbox. Some local councils have implemented security arrangements to protect staff from danger. However, findings from a survey have shown that there are councillors who have been deterred from standing at the upcoming local elections due to the abuse and intimidation they have faced. The Jo Cox Civility Commission had warned earlier to address the abuse against all politicians by establishing a central unit.
According to local authorities at all levels in England and Wales, six organisations stated that the abuse levels are overtly high and called for change. There are around 100,000 councillors in total at all local government levels with many more staff to support them. They are responsible for important decisions regarding schools, social care, housing and planning as well as waste collection. The LGA survey revealed that 27% of councillors, and two-thirds of respondents claimed that intimidation and abuse had impacted their decision on whether to stand in the future.
The LGA’s Civility in Public Life Programme Steering Group Chair, Councillor Marianne Overton, noted the dangers of abuse and intimidation towards councillors, adding that if left unaddressed, they could force good councillors entirely out of politics. She called for legislation allowing councils to proactively withhold councillors’ home addresses from the public and urged the government for immediate action before the next local elections in May. The MP Clive Betts, who chairs the Commons local government committee, also called for measures to protect councillors who are “suffering really bad abuse” before considering a more comprehensive package.
De Montfort University’s survey on behalf of the Association for Public Service Excellence revealed that almost half of councillors experienced severe abuse. Last year, 22% of councillors informed the local authority of receiving public abuse detailed enough to warrant an action plan to ensure safety, such as police involvement or enhanced security. Several councillors received death threats, while others were subjected to persistent harassment via social media, leading to prison sentences for the perpetrators
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