UK election candidates battle death threats and abuse

LONDON — Death threats, vandalism and security guards are not usually the stuff of everyday politics, but all have been a feature of this year’s U.K. general election.

Indeed, the intimidation of political candidates appears to be shaping the very way the election is being conducted, as well as the extent of contact between voters and prospective MPs.

A number of candidates standing in the July 4 general election have decided not to appear at public meetings after receiving death threats and other forms of abuse. 

One Labour Party candidate standing in a marginal seat, who was granted anonymity due to security concerns, told POLITICO she had received a death threat in the first week of the campaign and in its wake had been asked to “lie low” by the police. 

The candidate said she had been “shocked” by the incident, which had left her concerned for her family, adding: “I was not really expecting I was going to come up against that this early on.”

Another candidate, the Conservative Robert Largan, recently issued a statement saying he would not attend any hustings in the High Peak seat he has represented since 2019 due to alleged harassment by two individuals at a prior public event. 

Largan claimed he had requested security but had not received it, and accused Derbyshire Police of failing to take candidates’ safety seriously. 

Derbyshire Police said in response that it had worked with local candidates and the Home Office “to ensure the safe running of these events and those who are attending.”

‘Absolutely frightening’

Rosie Duffield, a Labour candidate standing in Canterbury who is a high-profile defender of single-sex spaces in the context of heated debate on the subject, also went public with her decision not to attend hustings owing to “the actions of a few fixated individuals.”

Jess Phillips, another Labour candidate, posted on X that “threats of intimidation and harassment in this campaign mean that planned events are nearly impossible to go to.”

Concerns over politicians’ safety in the U.K. have been felt particularly keenly in the wake of the murders of Conservative MP David Amess in 2021 and Labour’s Jo Cox in 2016.

Jess Phillips, another Labour candidate, posted on X that “threats of intimidation and harassment in this campaign mean that planned events are nearly impossible to go to.” | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Such fears have risen since the outbreak of war in Gaza, with Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle highlighting the “absolutely frightening” threats made to MPs due to their stance on the conflict.

Britain is not alone in facing violence, with a recent wave of attacks on politicians in Germany and a May 15 assassination attempt on the Slovak prime minister.

Operation Bridger expanded

The threat of violence has been deemed serious enough that parliamentary candidates were offered a package of basic security services for the first time in the lead-up to this election. 

PoliticsHome reported at the outset of the campaign that all would-be MPs had been offered guidance, briefings and online security services, with the possibility of requesting physical security, previously only available to former MPs.

In February, police were given powers to expand Operation Bridger, a nationwide security operation focused on the safety of MPs. 

Under the program, all candidates are entitled to a dedicated police contact with whom they can raise concerns or flag threats. 

In practice, however, several candidates said it was difficult to obtain extra support unless intimidation escalated to the level of death threats or vandalism of constituency premises. 

Stella Creasy, the Labour candidate for Walthamstow, shared images of her London office after it was attacked last week, saying: “You don’t intimidate me and you don’t belong in the political process.”

The Home Office would not comment on security arrangements, but officials from the department stressed they would encourage all candidates to engage with Operation Bridger.

A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson, addressing a recent counter-terrorism briefing, said the police took their role in protecting the democratic process “very seriously” and wanted every candidate to know “we are here to help them and keep them safe.”