Public officer holder, including Members of Parliament, peers,
and local councillors, will be better protected from harassment
and intimidation under a new law to restrict protests outside
their homes.
Under changes set out in the Crime and Policing Bill, the police
will be given strengthened powers to stop this form of
intimidation and abuse, and help clamp down on toxic behaviour in
UK politics. This includes a new criminal offence of protesting
outside the home of someone in public office where their
intention is to influence them in their role or an aspect of
their private life, with perpetrators facing up to 6 months'
imprisonment.
This announcement follows a concerning rise in harassment of
those in public office, with the Electoral Commission reporting
that over half of the candidates who stood in last year's general
election experienced some form of abuse or intimidation.
A second survey – conducted by the Speaker of the House – found
that almost all MPs (96%) had experienced at least one instance
of harassment or intimidation which had a corrosive effect on
their ability to do their jobs.
Security Minister said:
The level of abuse faced by those taking part in British politics
is truly shocking – it's a threat to our democracy. People should
be able to participate in our politics without fearing for their
own or their family's safety.
When good people choose not to put themselves forward,
communities lose out and the country is poorer for it.
As Chair of the Defending Democracy Taskforce, I am leading work
across government to drive out harassment and intimidation and
strengthen our protections. This measure is a serious but
necessary and proportionate step. Targeting public office holders
at their homes crosses a line – it's intimidation, not protest,
and we're putting a stop to it.
Will Fletcher, Interim CEO of the Foundation said:
We welcome measures to improve the safety and security of those
in public office. Protesting outside someone's home clearly poses
serious safety concerns and can cause distress for the individual
and their family.
Protest and robust debate are important to our democracy, and
there are many ways that people can make their voices heard
without crossing the line into intimidation at someone's
home.
Through the Civility Commission, we work with a range of partners to
address abuse towards politicians, their staff and families, and
promote more respectful politics in order to strengthen our
democracy.
, Minister for Democracy,
said:
Intimidation and abuse of any kind is unacceptable, and I'm
determined to protect those in public office so we can encourage
more people to get involved in democracy.
Alongside our new stronger sentences for those who intimidate
campaigners, we are going further to defend democracy and restore
trust in politics.
The new protection is a major step in tackling the unacceptable
harassment and intimidation faced by many public office holders
and their families, and is an immediate recommendation made by
the government's Defending Democracy Taskforce as part of its
wide-ranging review into this issue.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce brings together a wide range of
partners including government departments, the police,
parliamentary authorities, and the Electoral Commission to look
at how harassment and intimidation can be tackled head on.
The government is determined to ensure that no one is deterred
from representing their community or country because of fear, and
today's announcement builds on strengthened protections for
elected representatives already set out in the Strategy for
Modern Elections.
This includes giving the courts greater powers to impose tougher
sentences on those who threatened elected officials, and removes
the final loophole which requires candidates who are seeking
election to publish their home address when they don't have an
office address to use.
Together, these measures will ensure greater privacy and safety
for those standing for public office.
These measures follow this year's local elections in which
dedicated police officers were in place in all forces across the
country for the first time, offering security briefings to
support local election candidates under Operation Ford. These
Force Elected-Official Advisers (FEOAs) remain in place for
locally elected representatives, such as councillors,
metropolitan mayors, and Police and Crime Commissioners.
Meanwhile, under Operation Bridger, a dedicated police contact
continues to be provided to MPs when they are outside of the
Parliamentary Estate.
