The Jo Cox Civility Commission advocates for the implementation of recommendations to address the problem of violence, abuse and intimidation of elected representatives on national and local levels, across the nations and regions of the UK.
In January 2024 we launched our first Call to Action with 28 recommendations. Since then, the main areas of progress have been in police and security. A new dedicated police resource – Operation FORD – for local government representatives has been implemented. The 2024 elections were the first in which security costs were exempt from election spending limits – and the Scottish and Welsh governments have both announced that the same provision will be in place for the 2026 elections.
While our recommendations are applicable to all levels of government, we know that the devolved nations may have particular issues when it comes to abuse in politics and, crucially, specific powers to promote respectful politics. We are creating a specific Call to Action to address abuse in politics in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which will be launched in January 2026. Over the coming months, we will engage widely to create specific recommendations to safeguard democracy for all.
Abuse and intimidation impacts the functioning of our democracy. Politicians may avoid certain political activities and policy discussions. People who would make excellent changemakers may be put off participating in politics because of abuse. All of these impacts are particularly disproportionate on women and others already under-represented in our democracy – groups of people whose participation makes our democracy more representative and, therefore, stronger.
Growing evidence indicates that abuse towards elected representatives is becoming – or perhaps already has become – a ‘normal’ part of politics. Some recent figures:
- The Electoral Commission found that over half of 2024 election candidates who responded to its survey felt they had some kind of problem with harassment, intimidation, or abuse. Female respondents and respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds more likely to report having experienced serious abuse.
- In the latest LGA Debate Not Hate survey, 70% of councillors in England and Wales reported experiencing abuse or intimidation in the last year. This number was higher for women and those from ethnic minorities (84%) and for the LGBT+ councillors and disabled respondents (85%).
- Three quarters (75%) of the Senedd Members and Wales constituency MPs who responded to a ITV Cymru Wales survey in 2024 said that there were times they felt unsafe in their role.
- According to Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) data, gender-based online abuse of MSPs increased more than a hundred-fold in a year between 2023 and 2024
- Earlier this year, politicians in Northern Ireland spoke to the BBC about the extent of abuse, including death and rape threats against themselves and their children.
Clearly, more action is needed to address abuse and change culture. Collaboration and partnership is key to safeguarding our democracy. We are pleased to have forged and continue to develop strong partnerships across different sectors and across the political spectrum.
Recently, we have visited The Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Senedd to meet with a range of partners to discuss existing progress and much-needed change. Shared challenges include limited action by social media companies to address abuse on their platforms, and the impacts on staff and families of elected representatives. Shared opportunities include increases in cross-border collaboration to fight crime, and broader cross-sector willingness to address abuse and promote respectful and diverse political culture.
Over the coming months, we will continue to engage and collaborate widely to create practical recommendations that bring us closer to our long-term vision of a political culture in which diversity is celebrated and robust debate brings us closer in the spirit of Jo’s message that “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”
If you would like to help shape the recommendations for the ‘Jo Cox Civility Commission Call to Action to Address Abuse in Politics in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’, please email [email protected].