We need to tackle the abuse of candidates

26 Feb 2025 03:51 PM

The Electoral Commission will tell a cross-party group of MPs that more needs to be done to protect electoral candidates from abuse and intimidation. The regulator will today appear before the Speaker’s Conference (Opens in new window) to share the evidence it has from candidates, MPs, administrators and the public on abuse and intimidation at the general election, and to highlight the need for a coordinated response to the issue. 

Multiple agencies and bodies – including police forces, prosecuting authorities, political parties, campaigners, local authorities and the Commission – are involved in trying to support and protect candidates from abuse, and to respond when unacceptable behaviour does occur. Given the complex and dispersed nature of the system, the Commission will emphasise that an effective response to this growing challenge will be reliant on commitment and coordination across the electoral and law enforcement sectors.

The Commission’s evidence will touch on the work it is doing to support candidates, as well as the role other bodies and organisations can play in responding to the issue. The Commission has called for increased support for candidates from the police to ensure they receive clear and timely support, and for allegations of election-related intimidation to be taken seriously. It has also recommended that social media and online platforms develop improved screening tools for candidates’ digital profiles to quickly remove abusive content and identify perpetrators.  

Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, said:

“Addressing the abuse and intimidation targeted at candidates and elected officials is crucial to safeguarding individuals and their families, but also the health of the UK democracy more widely. It’s particularly targeted at women, and some ethnic minority candidates. And women get particularly vile abuse online. We know concerns around personal safety are stopping some from campaigning freely during elections, and putting some off standing in the first place – which weakens the choice before voters. Candidates and political parties are crucial to our democracy, and should be valued for their participation. 

“There needs to be a coordinated response, but it is a complex landscape, with various organisations and bodies each responsible for tackling a specific part of the problem – whether its helping candidates to understand what behaviour crosses the line, the response to an incident, or stopping the spread of harmful misinformation. The challenge we must all rise to is ensuring that every element is working effectively, and cohesively with the others.

“The Speaker’s Conference is an important forum for getting to the heart of these issues and bringing together all those that need to be part of the solution. The Commission is committed to playing its part and working with partners.”

The Commission published a report on the general and local elections held in 2024 and put forward recommendations for tackling the problem of abuse and intimidation. Those proposals included strengthening protections for candidates, campaigners, and electoral administrators.  

Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive, and Niki Nixon, Director of Communications, will provide evidence alongside representatives from the police and electoral administrator sector. The Commission’s session is expected to be public and available on Parliament TV, and will begin at 15.40. (Opens in new window) 

Notes to editors

  • After the general election, we asked candidates whether they had experienced any problem with harassment, intimidation, or threats:
        o    Over half (55%) of respondents felt that they had some kind of problem with harassment, intimidation, or abuse, rating their problem a two or above on a one to five scale 
        o    Just over one in 10 (13%) respondents said that they had a serious problem with abuse (a four or five out of five on the scale).
        o    Some groups of candidates were more likely to experience abuse and intimidation. Women were twice as likely to report serious abuse, and ethnic minority respondents three times.
  • 56% of respondents said they avoided some form of campaign activity at least once due to a fear of abuse. One third (32%) avoided discussing controversial topics to avoid harassment. 
  • The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:
        o    enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
        o    regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
        o    using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, 
        o    aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency
  • The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Welsh and Scottish parliaments.