Security support for local election candidates during campaign
The Security Minister encourages candidates to use support available, including dedicated police officers, during the local election campaign to keep them safe.
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Safety advice and security support is available to all elected officials and candidates during the local election campaign period, the Security Minister has said as the pre-election period gets underway. He also warned that in the lead up to polling day on 1 May, harassment and intimidation will not be tolerated.
Abuse of candidates and their teams has increased in recent years, notably at last year’s General Election. This has prompted the Security Minister to point to the enhanced measures now in place to keep the risk at this year’s local elections low.
For the first time, dedicated police officers are in place in all forces across the country, offering a specialised network of expertise and support to local election candidates. Under Operation Ford, metropolitan mayors, local councillors, police and crime commissioners, and those standing for election in those roles will have access to Force Elected-Official Advisers (FEOAs) within their local police force who will provide briefings on personal safety throughout the campaign period. FEOAs are responsible for both Operation Bridger (MPs and parliamentary candidates) and Operation Ford.
Now that nominations for candidacy have closed, these advisers are making contact with the returning officers in their region, to encourage them to share contact details of the candidates with FEOAs.
Candidates can also access a range of security advice and guidance online, recently updated ahead of this year’s local election campaign period. Expertise has been provided across the security community from the police, the National Protective Security Authority, National Cyber Security Centre and others, to help candidates implement personal protective security measures.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said:
Our elections remain safe, secure, free and fair – a fact we should be proud of, but can never take for granted. This government has put protecting our national security at the forefront of our Plan for Change and protecting our democratic freedoms is part of this. The harassment and intimidation of candidates and campaigners is completely unacceptable.
To those campaigning now, support is available to maximise your safety whilst you go about campaigning and talking to voters.
My message to those who cross the line from free speech to harassment is simple – it will not be tolerated.
Minister for Democracy Rushanara Ali said:
I know from experience candidates can be subject to terrible harassment and intimidation. This is completely unacceptable, and we will not tolerate our democracy being undermined.
We are working with the Electoral Commission, the police and other partners to take concrete action to tackle this behaviour in order to keep candidates safe.
FEOAs are not a route to reporting a crime, and where candidates experience harassment or intimidation and believe there is an immediate threat to their safety, they should call 999. Where the threat is less immediate, they should contact 101 or visit police.uk. The Home Office will remain in contact with FEOAs to ensure they are appropriately supported.
Anyone harassing or intimidating those taking part in our democratic process may be arrested and prosecuted if their activity breaks the law. As chair of the government’s Defending Democracy Taskforce, the Security Minister has written to chief constables across the country to remind them of the wide range of powers they have and urged them not to hesitate using them to maintain order and the safety of candidates.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Policing Elections Deputy Commissioner Nik Adams said:
As with every election, the police’s role is to prevent and detect crime, and enable the democratic process to take place. We take that role very seriously because intimidation of candidates and their supporters has serious implications for individuals and wider democracy.
We want every candidate, and everyone involved in securing the democratic process, to know that we are here to help them and keep them safe.
All candidates will receive security advice and guidance from their local force. We would encourage candidates to read this guidance and attend security briefings. They should also take the time to introduce themselves to their local force, and ensure they know who their point of contact is. It is also important to take practical steps when campaigning to ensure safety.
There have also been briefings from partners in related fields, such as around personal security, risks that come from social media, and general cyber safety advice. We would encourage candidates to be as proactive when engaging with our partners as much as they would be with the police.
It is also vital that elections are not undermined by criminal practice of other types, such as corruption and fraud, and a national network of trained officers has been established to ensure that forces, working with Action Fraud, are able to respond to such reports robustly and effectively.
National security is the first duty of government and a foundation of the government’s Plan for Change. This includes protecting our democracy from those who wish to undermine it by maintaining the safety and security of our electoral and political processes and those taking part.
The government is determined to crack down on the harassment and intimidation of those participating in our democracy – whether they are an elected representative, candidate, or campaigner; and whether this takes place during or outside of an election campaign. Upon taking office, the Prime Minister gave the Defending Democracy Taskforce a new mandate to coordinate and drive forward government’s response to the full range of threats to our democracy.
As part of this, the Defending Democracy Taskforce is undertaking a review, working across government with the police, parliamentary authorities, and the Electoral Commission to understand the levers to tackle harassment and intimidation and identify any gaps and vulnerabilities in the current processes. It will bring forward recommendations to ministers in due course, to suggest how to further strengthen the security of elected representatives and candidates.
Last week, the Security Minister and Minister for Homelessness and Democracy Rushanara Ali both gave evidence to the Speaker’s Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections. As part of the government’s drive to improve security and reduce the threat, the recommendations made by the conference will be considered thoroughly.
Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, said:
Many candidates are standing in the local elections and campaigning – an essential part of our democracy. Thank you to all those standing. We all want to see a robust and vibrant debate, but far too many are experiencing abuse and intimidation.
The Commission and police have developed guidance to ensure candidates understand the actions and behaviours that cross the line and may constitute a criminal offence – please tell the police if you think that is the case.
Will Fletcher, CEO of the Jo Cox Foundation, said:
Through the Jo Cox Civility Commission, we have highlighted how abuse and intimidation of politicians and candidates negatively affects democracy in the UK. We welcome the progress the government, parliament and other key bodies are making to implement the Commission’s recommendations and create a safer, more respectful politics.
In particular, we welcome the increased support that is now available for local election candidates, and would encourage all candidates to read the updated guidance and engage with their local FEOAs in order to understand how they can stay safe while campaigning.
We all have a responsibility for changing the perception that elected representatives are acceptable targets of abuse and intimidation. We urge all candidates to sign our Civility Pledge in collaboration with Compassion in Politics, as a commitment to running a respectful campaign.