Tag: polirics

Councillors under attack: Elected members face threats, abuse and intimidation

DEBATE NOT HATE SURVEY 2026

The latest Debate Not Hate survey, undertaken by the Local Government Association (LGA) since 2022, has this year been extended to councillors in Scotland and Northern Ireland, reflecting the four UK nations joint commitment to promoting and defencing civility in public life as expressed in the joint statement of October 2025.

A total of 1503 councillors across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland responded to the survey, which found that:

  • 78 per cent of councillors reported feeling some level of personal risk while fulfilling their role as a councillor, with over 85 percent of female, ethnic minority, LGBT+ or disabled councillors reporting feeling at risk. In Scotland, the overall figure was 81%.
  • 52 percent of councillors reported that abuse and intimidation had increased sharply or slightly over the past 12 months, with 25 percent reporting it had increased sharply.
  • 74 percent of councillors in England reported experiencing some level of abuse or intimidation during the 2026 local election campaign, with over two-thirds of Welsh and Scottish councillors doing so during the Senedd and Scottish Parliament campaigns.
  • Over a quarter of councillors (26 percent) reported having received threats of violence and 7 per cent a threat of death. In Scotland, 13% of councillors reported receiving a threat of damage to property, and 2% experiences actual violence.
  • Among councillors who have decided not to re-stand at the next elections or are undecided on whether or not to do so, 30 percent said their decision was influenced by abuse or intimidation (40% in Scotland); over one in three (35 percent) said they had made security modifications to their home due to safety concerns.

There have been important steps forward in improving councillor safety in recent years, including the introduction of Force Elected Official Advisers (FEOA).

There is growing awareness of the FOEA (or equivalents) that now exist in each police force to oversee elected member safety. 56 percent of councillors in England and Wales are aware of the FEOAs, increasing from 40 percent in the previous year, with even higher awareness in Scotland (76 percent). Nearly three quarters (74 percent) of councillors who had engaged with Force Elected Official Advisers or Operation Ford had found it very or fairly useful.

However, the Debate Not Hate Survey results suggest much more needs to be done by government, police forces, social media platforms and others to tackle the high and growing levels of abuse and intimidation. It is clear from the survey that many people are being put off standing or running again for local elected office due to an environment in which abuse and threats are increasingly common.

While a quarter of councillors had reported an incident of abuse or intimidation to the police, they were evenly divided as to whether they felt the issue had been addressed to some extent (34 percent) or hadn’t been addressed at all (33 percent).

While legitimate scrutiny and robust debate are essential in a healthy democracy, abuse, intimidation, threats and harassment have no place in public life.

The LGA, COSLA, NILGA and WLGA are therefore calling on the UK Government to work with devolved and local governments, local government associations and policing partners to establish formal arrangements to tackle these behaviours.

Any new arrangements should aim to bring together and coordinate existing initiatives, facilitate information sharing between agencies and invest in new solutions and security measures to better safeguard democratic participation at every level.

Cllr Shona Morrison, President of COSLA, said: “The results of the survey evidence what many elected members know to be true – that abuse and harassment is far too common an experience for councillors.

“Councillors and Councils are a vital part of democracy, and it is unacceptable that 81 percent of Scottish councillors have felt some level of risk whilst carrying out their role. With local government elections taking place next year, there is a real concern that we will lose talented, experienced and committed councillors due to this environment.

“COSLA is grateful to the councillors in Scotland who took part in the survey for the first time that have helped to draw attention to this important issue.

“We are committed to working with the Scottish and UK Governments, Police and partners to tackle the systemic challenges that have contributed to this culture of abuse and harassment.

“Protecting elected members is essential to protecting local democracy, and urgent action is needed to ensure councillors can represent their communities safely, confidently and effectively.”

Cllr Hannah Dalton, LGA Civility in Public Life Ambassador, said: “The findings of the 2026 Debate Not Hate survey are a stark reminder that abuse, threats and intimidation have become an all too common reality for those who step forward to serve their communities.

“We must never accept a situation where harassment and personal attacks are simply regarded as part of public service.

“It is deeply alarming that most councillors believe the problem is getting worse, with more than three-quarters having experienced abuse during the May 2026 local elections. This toxic culture is not only affecting those currently in office, it is deterring talented and committed people from standing for election in the first place. That is a direct threat to the strength, diversity and health of our democracy.

“We urgently call on the Government, police forces and social media companies to work with us to tackle this crisis head on. Concerted action is needed now to confront the growing hostility councillors face and ensure that those who represent their residents can do so without fear of abuse, intimidation or harassment.”

Alderman Hazel Legge, President of the NILGA, said: “The findings are concerning and highlight the very real challenges many councillors face.

“As Northern Ireland looks ahead to the next local government elections, we must ensure that no one is discouraged from standing for office because of abuse or intimidation.

“NILGA has been working closely with the PSNI to improve awareness and support for elected representatives, but there is more to do.

“Everyone should be able to serve their community without fear, and respectful debate must remain at the heart of our democracy.”

Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, WLGA Llywydd, and Cllr Jason McLellan, WLGA Social Justice and Equality Spokesperson, said: “The first-ever four nations Debate Not Hate survey marks an important milestone in our shared efforts to understand and tackle abuse and intimidation in public life.

“While the findings demonstrate that too many councillors continue to face unacceptable levels of abuse, they also provide a strong evidence base for collective action across the UK.

“We are committed to working together to support councillors, promote respectful democratic engagement and ensure local democracy remains open, representative and resilient.”

Boost for British car industry as £1bn secured for Sunderland gigafactory

  • New state-of-the-art gigafactory ignites growth in industrial heartlands, supporting 1,000 jobs and powering up 100,000 electric vehicles a year
  • Chancellor visited Sunderland today following landmark economic deal with the US that saved thousands of auto jobs and slashed tariffs on car exports.
  • Latest action in the Government’s Plan for Change to strengthen our industrial heartlands, make Britain a clean energy superpower and put more money in people’s pockets through good jobs.
  • Working people will benefit from 1,000 jobs at a new state-of-the-art gigafactory in Sunderland in a £1 billion auto deal to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and boost growth.

This investment is another boost for the British car industry after yesterday’s landmark economic deal with the United States saved thousands of jobs by slashing tariffs on British exports.

The new AESC gigafactory will manufacture batteries for electric vehicles, powering up to 100,000 EVs each year – a six-fold increase on the country’s current capacity – making the UK globally competitive selling more British EVs at home and abroad and helping to achieve our net zero target.

In the landmark transaction, the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance will provide financial guarantees which unlock £680 million in financing from banks including Standard Chartered, HSBC, SMBC Group, Societe Generale and BBVA. This will cover construction and operation of the new plant. The remaining £320 million has been secured through private financing in addition to new equity provided by AESC.

In addition to this £1 billion investment, the Government’s Automotive Transformation Fund is also investing £150 million in grant funding.

This is the Government’s Plan for Change in action, making us more competitive on the world stage, helping Britain on its way to becoming a clean energy superpower through innovation in the automotive sector, and delivering economic growth that puts more money in people’s pockets through high skilled jobs.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “We are going further and faster to boost our industries’ resilience and encourage their growth as part of our Plan for Change, and this investment follows hot on the heels of yesterday’s landmark economic deal with the US which will save thousands of jobs in the industry.

“This investment in Sunderland will not only further innovation and accelerate our move to more sustainable transport, but it will also deliver much-needed high quality, well-paid jobs to the North East, putting more money in people’s pockets.”

Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: “We’re backing our world-class car industry, and this investment is yet another vote of confidence in the North East’s thriving auto manufacturing hub which will secure a thousand well-paid jobs and boost prosperity across the region.

“Our modern Industrial Strategy will drive this growth even further, powering our high-potential sectors like advanced manufacturing so we can deliver jobs and investment in every corner of the UK and make our Plan for Change a reality.”

The Chancellor visited AESC in Sunderland today [Friday 9 May] where she met staff and local leaders to discuss how the investment will bring jobs and prosperity to the North East, and how the landmark economic deal secured with the US will secure the industry for years to come.

The deal slashes car export tariffs from 27.5% to 10% and will apply to a quota of 100,000 UK cars – almost the total exported last year.

This will save some car companies hundreds of millions of pounds, making high skilled jobs in industrial heartlands like Sunderland more secure.

Shoichi Matsumoto, CEO of Japanese headquartered AESC, said: “This investment marks a key milestone in AESC’s ongoing efforts to support the UK’s path towards decarbonisation and the expansion of its EV market.

“Through close collaboration with strategic partners, we strive to accelerate this transition while creating high-quality local jobs and building resilient, sustainable supply chain.

“We are honoured to contribute to the development of low-carbon economy with our advanced battery technologies.”

John Flint, National Wealth Fund CEO, said: “AESC’s gigafactory will not only help to retool our car industry for net zero it will also support jobs, growth, and prosperity in the Northeast.

“This investment further demonstrates the significant role NWF is playing to crowd private capital into the industries and regions where its most needed, boosting government’s growth and clean energy missions.”

UKEF CEO, Tim Reid, said: “This hugely exciting project is a prime example of how export financing is a powerful tool for unlocking growth opportunities for British exporters and strengthening local economies.

“We’re proud to join forces with partners to back this pioneering gigafactory that will help cement the UK’s prowess as an EV battery-making force for years to come.”