A rise in threats and abuse targeting MPs and election candidates is actively undermining the health of democracy, a cross-party inquiry chaired by the commons speaker has concluded.
An interim report from the speaker’s conference found that intimidation is dissuading individuals from standing for office and making it harder for elected representatives and candidates to engage with the public.
The report highlights that this trend has worsened over the past decade and shows signs of further deterioration.
Commenting upon the publication of the report, House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle declared that facing “abuse, threats and intimidation” should never be part of the job of an MP.
He said: “Participating in free and fair democratic processes — as a candidate or a Member of Parliament — is a privilege, and we expect that to come with robust political discourse and debate.
“But abuse, threats and intimidation should never be part of this job. It threatens the health of our democracy, and forces people to choose between the public good and their own safety and wellbeing.”
He added: “I am grateful to members, their staff and the witnesses we have heard from to date for sharing their experiences with us and look forward to working with colleagues on the next phase of the conference’s work.”
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96 per cent of MPs and 69 per cent of MPs’ staff experience one or more forms of abuse in their role, a survey conducted by the conference found. Nearly half of responding MPs said abuse and intimidation made them feel anxious or depressed (49 per cent), with a similar proportion feeling unsafe (52 per cent).
Around one in three MPs (29 per cent) have considered not standing for re-election. One in six (17 per cent) have contemplated resigning from public office.
Of those surveyed, 42 per cent of staff reported anxiety or depression due to abuse experienced directly or witnessed by their MP. Half of staff (48 per cent) report feeling unsafe.
The interim report concludes that current electoral law is “not fit for purpose” in tackling the harassment, abuse, and intimidation of candidates, and calls on the government to undertake a full review of electoral law.
That review should include identifying practices or processes that unintentionally undermine security or electoral integrity, the report adds.
The conference recommends removing the option for home addresses to be published during the nomination process; introducing ID and addressing checks for all candidates; and working with the Electoral Commission to review nomination requirements to protect elections from misleading or undermining candidates.
The report also calls on the government to ensure the intention behind section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, regarding false statements of fact in relation to a candidate’s personal character or conduct, is enforceable and able to keep pace with technological developments in AI and deepfakes.
The report acknowledges that while physical security has improved for MPs, many still feel unsafe. It suggests that rather than increasing security measures, which could “fundamentally and undesirably change” how MPs engage with constituents, the focus should be on encouraging appropriate uptake and effective delivery of existing measures, and reducing the overall level of threat.
The next phase of the inquiry is set to focus on public attitudes towards MPs and candidates; how threats against MPs and candidates are handled in the criminal justice system; and the role of social media.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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