"Candidates at elections have been subject to unacceptable abuse while campaigning in recent years. Its most recent candidate research found that 61% of respondents, who were candidates in the 2025 local elections in England, experienced harassment or security threats during the campaign and 71% said they avoided some campaign activity because of fear of abuse."
"Anyone engaging in this sort of behaviour is directly attacking our democracy and we all must do more to stop it becoming normalised. A spokesperson for the Green party said some candidates had received death threats or been yelled at or chased down the street, and some had withdrawn from campaigning in certain areas due to harassment."
"Anecdotally, this has been the worst year in memory. They said the party had been a focus at this election more than ever before, with some wildly false claims being made about the party and its representatives, which some members of the public have accepted on face value."
The 2025 local and devolved elections in England, Scotland, and Wales were marked by significant abuse and harassment directed at political candidates. Politicians from various parties, including Labour, the Green Party, and Reform UK, reported death threats, intimidation, and online harassment. The Green Party described this year's campaign as the worst in memory, with some candidates receiving death threats, being chased, or withdrawing from certain areas. Electoral Commission research found that 61% of candidates in the 2025 English local elections experienced harassment or security threats, while 71% avoided campaign activities due to fear of abuse. Security Minister Dan Jarvis condemned the rising tide of abuse, characterizing it as a direct attack on democracy. The Electoral Commission will publish detailed findings on abuse and intimidation in its autumn 2026 elections report.
#election-abuse-and-harassment #political-intimidation #candidate-safety #democracy-threats #electoral-violence
Read at www.theguardian.com
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