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‘The worst year in memory’: parties describe climate of abuse on campaign trail
TL;DR
Candidates report a climate of abuse, including death threats, during local elections in England, Scotland, and Wales. The Green party calls this year's campaign the worst in memory, prompting condemnation from security officials.
Key points
- Candidates report abuse during local elections
- Death threats and intimidation are common
- Green party calls this campaign the worst in memory
- Dan Jarvis condemns rising abuse against candidates
- Elections are on Thursday across England, Scotland, and Wales
Candidates and political parties have described a climate of abuse in this year’s local and devolved elections including death threats and intimidation while campaigning.
Elections are taking place across councils in England and governments in Scotland and Wales on Thursday, with millions expected to vote.
Candidates and politicians from a wide range of political parties have reported abuse and harassment in the lead-up to the elections, with the Green party describing this year’s campaign as the worst in memory.
Dan Jarvis, the security minister, condemned “the rising tide of vile abuse, harassment and intimidation aimed towards elected officials and candidates” online and in person.
“Anyone engaging in this sort of behaviour is directly attacking our democracy and we all must do more to stop it becoming normalised,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Green party said some candidates had received death threats and were “yelled at or chased down the street,” with some having to withdraw from campaigning in certain areas due to harassment.
“Anecdotally, this has been the worst year in memory,” a spokesperson said, adding that the party had been “a focus at this election more than ever before”.
“Some wildly false claims being made about the party and its representatives, which some members of the public have accepted on face value.”
It is unknown how widespread abuse and harassment has been on the campaign trail this year. The Electoral Commission will publish its report on the 2026 elections, including its findings on abuse and intimidation, in the autumn.
During the 2024 general election, the Electoral Commission said “many candidates experienced unacceptable levels of intimidation and harassment”, in particular women and candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds. More than half of the candidates surveyed by the commission said they avoided some form of campaigning because of fear of abuse.
The abuse has occurred across political divides. The Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, criticised Elon Musk in April after he detailed how his party’s candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds were being subjected to “utterly appalling abuse” on X, which Musk owns.
This week, the Labour mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, told the BBC he was threatened and followed while campaigning in Coventry.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) released a statement on Tuesday condemning “reports of increased racial and Islamophobic harassment of candidates in the run up to the Scottish parliament elections”, while a spokesperson for Plaid Cymru said online discourse had “become increasingly toxic”.
In two separate incidents in April in Birmingham, a Green party candidate said he was “accosted” by campaigners supporting an independent group of candidates.
Q&A
What types of abuse are candidates facing in the 2023 elections?
Candidates are experiencing various forms of abuse, including death threats and intimidation, both online and in person.
Which political party described the 2023 campaign as the worst in memory?
The Green party has described this year's campaign as the worst in memory due to the high levels of abuse reported.
What did Dan Jarvis say about the abuse faced by candidates?
Dan Jarvis, the security minister, condemned the rising tide of abuse and intimidation aimed at candidates, stating it directly attacks democracy.
When are the local elections taking place in England, Scotland, and Wales?
The local and devolved elections are taking place on Thursday, with millions expected to vote across councils in England and governments in Scotland and Wales.
