One in five councillors have received death threats or threats of violence: LGA research

More than a fifth (22%) of councillors have received a death threat or a threat of violence due to their role, whilst 23% of councillors have suffered abuse serious enough to report it to the police, according to the Local Government Association’s (LGA) latest survey as part of its ‘Debate Not Hate’ Campaign.

The LGA, which is holding its annual conference this week in Harrogate, called for more to “be done to ensure that those who work to represent their communities can do so in confidence.”

Changes proposed by the Association include allowing councillors to withhold their addresses from publication and establishing a permanent cross-Whitehall unit to monitor, assess and address abuse, intimidation and safety of locally elected politicians and candidates.

Roughly half of respondents (49%) said they felt the abuse had got worse over the past 12 months, and 73% of councillors experienced abuse or intimidation in their role in the past year.

The survey also found that:

• One in 10 councillors had someone attend their home in a way that they considered intimidating or inappropriate, and 43% had requested to withhold their home address from the public due to safety concerns.
• 10% had experienced a threat of damage to their property, and 5% had experienced actual damage to property. 11% considered that they needed modifications to their home security but had been unable to make them for financial or personal reasons.
• 19% of respondents had experienced abuse or intimidation relating to a protected characteristic. Sex was the most commonly cited characteristic for which respondents had suffered abuse or intimidation.
• 57% of respondents reported that their authority’s arrangements for protecting councillors were very or fairly effective.

Respondents to the survey highlighted that high levels of abuse, threats and misinformation online put them off using social media or engaging with debate online.

However, whilst the proportion of respondents who felt at risk in their role is similar to 2022 (73%), it has dropped since last year, when the figure stood at 82%.

Cllr Marianne Overton, Chair of the LGA’s Civility in Public Life Steering Group, said: “These results are troubling – not only do they highlight the concerns for the safety and wellbeing of councillors, but show how violence and intimidation can be corrosive to our democracy as they discourage people from taking up public office and from speaking fairly on vital issues.

“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. This has got to stop.

“We need Government to act decisively to ensure high levels of abuse do not become an accepted part of public life and that councillors are safe and confident as they carry out their vital elected role – working to represent their communities.”

LGA Chair Cllr Louise Gittins and representatives from each of the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Independent groups warned that the results of the survey were “sobering” and described the abuse faced by councillors at their own homes as “wholly unacceptable”.

They said: “This behaviour is not just harmful to the individual, it is corrosive to public life and democratic participation. Not only do people on the receiving end of this abuse feel worried for themselves or their loved ones, but this sort of issue diverts attention away from where it’s best spent – serving communities. More time having to deal with threats to safety is less time working to make an area a better place to live,” they said.

“We may have different views on how to achieve the best for our communities, but we are united in the belief that no one should face this sort of abuse for serving in public office. Debate Not Hate is not just a slogan, it’s an ideal for us to hold to, and in doing so we work towards not just greater civility in public life but also better outcomes for our communities.”

The LGA’s full report, Debate Not Hate: Survey of councillors, is available here.