Respectful Politics

“It’s part of the job” says yet another woman politician on her experiences of receiving digital abuse – from sexist slurs to ‘deep fakes’ to rape and death threats.  

As part of my work at The Jo Cox Foundation, I hear from politicians at all levels of government across the UK and the world about their experiences of abuse.  We campaign to address violence, abuse, harassment and intimidation towards all elected representatives through the Jo Cox Civility Commission. 

We work to address such abuse not only because of the way Jo was killed – while carrying out her public duties as a MP – but because of the values by which she lived. Jo believed passionately in robust political debate and a representative, gender-equal democracy. We believe that abuse in politics harms democracy. 

While abuse can and does impact anyone in public life, growing evidence shows that the nature and impact of abuse towards women is distinct. Women are often attacked because they are women with the intention and/or effect of limiting women’s political participation. 

The stories I hear from women about their experiences are reflected in a growing body of research about the prevalence and nature of gendered digital abuse. A recent Westminster parliamentary survey found that 96% of current MPs have personally experienced threatening behaviour, with threats of sexual violence disproportionately experienced by women and disabled MPs. In a 2025 survey , 84% of women councillors in England and Wales reported experiencing abuse or intimidation. Between 2023 and 2024, abuse towards women Members of the Scottish Parliament increased more than a hundred-fold. Even so-called ‘low-level’ incidents and  “digital microaggressions” can be harmful because they normalise abuse. 

Studies in other countries tell a similar story. The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) research regularly finds that a high number of women parliamentarians across the world experience abuse.  A 2024 study of Italian politicians found that women were targeted more than men, even when they made the same decisions. A New Zealand study using a 2022 survey found that 98% of MPs had experienced harassment with women more likely than men to face most forms of abuse, including being twice as likely to receive death threats.

Such abuse can impact women’s ability to fully and freely participate in politics. Necessary efforts to deal with abuse – from reporting to social media platforms and implementing security precautions – take up time and resources. In a political environment where abuse is expected, women may ‘self-censor.’ Research carried out by academics and the UK Electoral Commission find that many women candidates avoid certain political activities, such as participating in hustings or discussing certain issues.  Abuse clearly affects these individuals and groups, but it also impacts their professional and personal networks, and ultimately undermines the functioning of the wider political ecosystem. 

Diverse political representation strengthens democracies. Study after study shows that better policy decisions are made when political institutions are inclusive of women leaders. Progress towards gender-equal political participation is not guaranteed. Even if current rates of progress are maintained, the UN estimates that gender parity in national legislative bodies globally will take another 38 years and another 130 years for gender parity among heads of state. Here in the UK, the campaign group 50:50 Parliament recently warned that if current opinion polling is translated into seats in the next General Election, the number of women in parliament could fall for the first time in 100 years. 

Digital abuse risks further undermining efforts for equal political representation. Women, especially those with disabilities or from ethnic minority backgrounds are already chronically under-represented in politics and are disproportionately impacted by abuse.  With the rise of abuse in public life, we as a society risk further marginalising women and creating a politics in which only certain demographic groups feel comfortable participating. This lack of diversity would damage the integrity of our political institutions.  In order to strengthen our democracy, we must address digital abuse towards women in politics.

“It shouldn’t be part of the job” is also what many women tell me when they share their experiences of abuse. We believe that we can change political institutions to address abuse and strengthen democracy.  And we are not alone.

Globally, addressing digital abuse, including in political spaces is increasingly seen as a priority. Today, 25 November, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and this year’s theme calls on unity to end digital abuse. The 16 Days of activism calls on individuals, civil society and governments to unite to address digital abuse towards women.

Since we launched the Jo Cox Civility Commission in the UK, we have seen important progress to tackle abuse in politics. Coordination is improving across the Government through the Defending Democracy Task Force. Each local police force now has a specific officer responsible for supporting local politicians, building on the structure to protect MPs, with increased training for police officers to deal with digital harms. The UK Online Safety Act is being implemented to address digital harms. 

Dealing with online abuse must not only be the responsibility of individuals. Addressing this problem demands organisational action and societal culture change. Efforts to address digital abuse in politics must be accompanied by efforts to make political  institutions more equal, such as the ongoing implementation of the Scottish Parliament’s Gender Sensitive Audit. 

We continue to make comprehensive but achievable recommendations to a range of institutions including political parties and local governments. Many aspects of our call to action are shared by other organisations including the  Electoral Commission, campaign groups like Centenary Action,  Elect Her and the Online Safety Act Network, academics including Susan Watson in a recent book on the topic, and the UK Parliament’s Speakers Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections. 

We believe that digital abuse need not be inevitable. We can work towards a society and politics in which diversity is celebrated and everyone can freely and safely participate in public life in the spirit of Jo’s message that we have “more in common than that which divides us.”

By Hannah Phillips
Hannah is The Jo Cox Foundation’s Civility Commission Manager. Hannah is a policy and research professional who has worked on local, national and international levels including at the London Borough of Lambeth Council, the UK House of Commons and the United Nations. In addition to her work at the Foundation, Hannah is a DPhil (PhD) Candidate at the University of Oxford where she examines how the phenomenon of abuse towards elected representatives has been politicised as a policy problem in the UK.

During the course of our work on The Jo Cox Civility Commission we are often asked where the line lies between robust political debate and abuse. We remain clear that a healthy democracy has debate, disagreement and different opinions at its heart, but that doesn’t need to tip over into personal insults and intimidatory behaviour.

In our work, we follow the lead of the Local Government Association who have a clear definition of the meaning of abuse and intimidation. Abuse constitutes physical, verbal or psychological acts that violate an individual’s human rights. Intimidation is defined as behaviour intended or likely to block, influence or deter participation in public debate, or causing alarm of distress that could lead to an individual wanting to withdraw from public life.

Based on these definitions, we are not saying that behaving ‘impolitely’ necessarily constitutes abuse. Politics is full of emotive and sensitive topics that people have strong feelings on. Robust debate and protest is important. In a healthy democracy, people should be able to openly scrutinise and criticise policies and decision-making – whether via social media, by writing to their MP, or attending protests. They should also be allowed to peacefully protest outside Parliament and political offices.

However, behaviour can go too far and quickly veer into abuse and intimidation. We often hear comments that politicians just need to have a ‘thicker skin’. While we agree that disagreements and scrutiny are an essential part of political life, there are certain behaviours that are unacceptable. This includes when criticism is made of the person, rather than the policy, especially if that includes discriminatory language or refers to physical appearance.

The culmination of what might be deemed ‘low-level’ abuse can take a significant toll. While an individual might fire off a single ‘mean Tweet’, the politician might have received hundreds of similar messages day in and day out, and this culmination can feel very intimidatory.

This abuse is a problem because it impacts participation in democratic life. It causes politicians who are already in office to step down, and is off-putting for those who might otherwise put themselves forward to serve. It also means politicians adjust the issues they speak about for fear of abuse. Recent research by the Electoral Commission showed that nearly half (47%) of women candidates avoided discussing controversial topics to keep themselves safe.

As well as the impact on politicians and would-be politicians, the volume of communications and abuse is felt by staff and families. Politicians’ staff are often the ones who first read the communications sent to politicians. A recent study showed half of MPs’ staff suffer from clinical levels of psychological distress. Families of elected representatives are often the ones at home who might have to deal with intimidatory behaviour.

One of the the challenges with that is often raised in relation to this issue is the role that politicians themselves play in abuse. We strongly believe that elected representatives must set an appropriate tone, and one of our recommendations is that politicians must model good behaviour. But it’s on all of us to change the tone of discourse, and to ensure that we can value robust debate, but centre the need to disagree agreeably.

Find out more about the recommendations of The Jo Cox Civility Commission here.

Since Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the July election, it’s been our aim at The Jo Cox Foundation to raise awareness of the issue of abuse during campaigning times and advocate for a civil election. It has been a busy and eventful six weeks, and we have been asking ourselves the question: Is politics in a better or worse place than when the election was called?

To look first to the positives, there are three particular things that we have noted:

• The huge push to encourage more people to register to vote has been a real success. Youth democracy charity My Life My Say have reported that since the General Election was called on 22 May, 2,898,265 people have applied to register to vote. Of those who registered, 744,631 are under 25. Why is this so important? Check out our earlier blog on this topic.
• Multiple candidates have spoken about the importance of civility in politics, and we’ve seen politicians from different parties being vocal in condemning abuse and attacks against others. No matter your political beliefs, we should all condemn the intimidation of politicians, and we thank those candidates who have taken the Civility Pledge in a commitment to a respectful campaign.
• Though there have been incidents of abuse, which we explore in more detail below, we’ve heard a lot of anecdotal evidence from people who have been out canvassing for different parties that the tone on the doorsteps has been broadly civil. Elections are a unique time with lots of opportunities to engage with politicians, and the best way to do this is through conversation, not abuse, so this is positive to hear.

However, there have been some worrying developments over the course of the campaign, including:

• Candidates and activists have experienced abuse on the campaign trail, including the objects being thrown at Nigel Farage, an attack on Stella Creasy’s office and a physical assault on a volunteer. Racist insults about Rishi Sunak by a Reform Party canvasser also highlight the heightened abuse levelled at candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds, as well as the impact of abuse on politicians’ families.
• A number of candidates have cancelled hustings appearances because of fears for their own safety. Election times are a fantastic opportunity for the public to engage with their candidates, probe them on their policy positions, and have an informed opinion about who to vote for. When candidates can’t participate, everyone loses.
• While we celebrate voter registration, there has been a real sense of voter apathy around this campaign which underlines the relevance of several key recommendations from the Jo Cox Civility Commission. Firstly, politicians need to model good behaviour in order for the public to trust them. Repeated reports of candidates having to be removed from the ballot further undermines trust, and show there’s more work to do on our recommendation the candidate screening needs to be improved. We also believe political literacy needs to improve so everyone can understand the responsibilities of different elected representatives and how they can use their voice to bring about change.

So to answer our original question about the impact of the election on the state of political life in the UK, it’s clear that abuse and intimidation is still a major issue for candidates to contend with and that more should be done to build trust and engagement between politicians and the electorate. We will be urging the incoming government to implement the relevant Jo Cox Civility Commission recommendations to ensure that we can change our politics for the better. 

So, with election day upon us, the most important thing we can do is urge you to make your voice heard and vote. 

When we talk about the Jo Cox Civility Commission or our work more broadly on respectful politics, we sometimes find ourselves having to clarify what this looks like in practice and why this work is so important. Some people may think that when using the word ‘civility’ or talking about respectful politics, we think that ending political abuse is as simple as being a bit nicer to politicians and refraining from publicly disagreeing with them. However, that’s not the case. We strongly believe that robust debate and scrutiny of decision-making is essential in a healthy democracy. The main aim of our work on the Jo Cox Civility Commission was to find practical ways to tackle the abuse and intimidation of elected representatives, while also preserving the importance of strong political debate. In the run-up to a General Election, this is even more vital.  

What we do want to make clear is the severity of abuse and intimidation. At its most serious, abuse on social media takes the form of death threats, threats of sexual violence and threats against family members. But it’s not just on social media. Abuse and intimidation often also manifests in-person, with issues such as destruction of property, stalking, and physical assault. 

These definitions demonstrate the seriousness of this problem and why it’s so important that we take steps to tackle it so that candidates and elected representatives are able to participate in the democratic process safely. Building respectful politics means ending the abuse and intimation that discourages so many from entering political life, and particularly impacts diverse representation.

We also recognise that candidates and elected representatives themselves have an important role to play in setting the tone of debate. The public cares about how candidates behave. In 2022, we found that over half of people said they would be less likely to vote for a political candidate who spoke insultingly about others in the running. That’s why we’ve been encouraging candidates to take the Civility Pledge ahead of this election. An important part of the Pledge is that it asks candidates to commit to behaving with respect towards others, including those that they don’t agree with. With more public debates and hustings events taking place in the days that lead up to the election, we urge candidates to focus on the issues that candidates care about, and not criticising or abusing their opponents.

The recommendations of the Jo Cox Civility Commission also emphasise the importance of civil debate. One area we’ve specifically emphasised is political literacy, and we remain convinced that better political education can lead to better politics in this country. If people understand more about how politics works, and how it can work for them, we can raise the tone of debate, and ultimately all benefit. Jo Cox herself didn’t shy away from political debate, but she also understood that politics is as much about finding allies to achieve common goals as it is about combative debate in the House of Commons. 

The General Election is just two weeks away and this election period is a great opportunity to raise issues we care about with the people who will soon form the new UK parliament. This is one of the best times to speak to your future MP, so we’re sharing some advice on how to get in touch with and be heard by your local candidates.

Who are my candidates and how do I contact them?

Some candidates might drop leaflets through your letterbox or even come and knock on your door, but the best and easiest way to find out who all your local candidates are is to visit the website Who Can I Vote For? and enter your postcode.

You will find a full list of candidates with links to their websites and ways you can contact them (such as via email or social media). You may wish to write your own letter or email to candidates, which can include asking them to commit to doing something about particular issues.

At the Jo Cox Foundation, we are asking candidates to sign our Civility Pledge and commit to setting a more respectful, civil and compassionate tone in politics. We are seeing the shocking impact of abuse towards elected representatives and candidates, many of whom have experienced abuse such as threats to themselves or family members. Unfortunately, research from the Electoral Commission in 2023 indicates that abusing elected representatives is increasingly deemed to be acceptable, with 75% of those who are 75+ saying that verbally threatening an MP in public is totally unacceptable, compared to just 32% of 18–24-year-olds.

Through the Jo Cox Civility Commission, we are advocating for a range of recommendations to address abuse and intimidation in politics. Some of these recommendations relate to the vital role politicians themselves have to play in setting the tone of political discourse and modelling appropriate behaviour, which is why we are asking parliamentary candidates to sign up to the Civility Pledge and demonstrate the importance of running a respectful campaign in the run-up to this election. 

What if I want to speak directly to candidates?

You may want to consider attending a local hustings event. Hustings are events where all the candidates come and debate certain issues and answer questions from the audience. They are usually organised by local community or faith groups and you can find out about them by checking local Facebook or other social media pages, by searching your area or constituency name and looking at posters in local public spaces such as libraries, supermarkets, and community spaces. Going along to a hustings gives you the opportunity to ask questions yourself or just hear directly from candidates and meet them in-person.

Whichever way you choose to engage with your parliamentary candidates, by email, social media or at a hustings or other public event – this is a crucial opportunity to put the issues that matter to you and your community on the agenda of whoever will be your next MP.

Ask your candidates to sign the Civility Pledge

If you’re getting in touch with local candidates and, like us, want to see a respectful election campaign, why not ask them to share their commitment to this by signing the Civility Pledge? By signing, candidates agree to:

1. Use a civil and constructive tone in debate
2. Act with integrity, honesty and compassion
3. Behave respectfully towards others, including those I disagree with

You can find template social media posts and emails ready to send to candidates on the Civility Pledge webpage.