Abuse of council workers and councillors is unacceptable
As the LGA Board’s recently appointed Civility in Public Life Ambassador, I am honoured to take on a role that places empathy, respect and personal wellbeing at the heart of local councils.
We are seeing the impact that abuse and intimidation can have on those who serve their communities across all UK nations, including most recently in last month’s local elections in England and to the Senedd and Scottish Parliament.
This behaviour not only affects candidates and councillors, but also the council officers who lead our organisations and deliver services to our local residents.
The ambassador’s role is both a responsibility and an opportunity: to advocate for councillors of every background and political affiliation, and for council employees, ensuring that they are all able to serve safely, confidently and free from intimidation.
A key strength of the LGA’s work is the shared commitment across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“Our statement sends a clear message: while robust challenge and democratic debate are fundamental to local government, there is never an excuse for abuse”
In October, we came together through our various national associations to issue a joint statement reaffirming our commitment to protecting democratic participation, and expressing deep concern over the growing levels of abuse, personal attacks and misinformation – particularly online – that are driving some councillors out of public life and deterring others from standing for election.
We called on the UK Government to work in partnership with devolved governments, local government associations and the police to address abuse and intimidation faced by anyone in public life. Since then, we have worked together to develop resources to support healthy debate in local government.
The LGA also receives funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to provide national training and local workshops for councils, covering themes such as personal safety, handling online abuse, managing aggression and managing conflict in public meetings.
Councils are encouraged to link up with neighbouring authorities to maximise the impact of these learning opportunities. More information is available at local.gov.uk/civility-public-life.
In addition to this support, the LGA has joined organisations representing officers from across the local government sector in signing a joint Sector Statement on Civility, hosted by the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers.
The statement sets out our collective concern that the abuse of council staff is becoming widespread, with employees across all service areas experiencing behaviour that goes far beyond disagreement or challenge, including verbal abuse, threats, harassment and sustained online attacks.
Disturbingly, many employees have come to view such behaviour as simply part of the job.
The statement sends out a clear message: while robust challenge and democratic debate are fundamental to local government, there is never an excuse for abuse.
We would be interested in any case studies that your councils might be able to provide around the issue of abuse towards staff, particularly where action has been taken – for example the successful prosecution of a perpetrator.
If you are able to help provide any such case studies, please email david.green@local.gov.uk.
Alongside this, we have compiled support for councils on staff wellbeing, including specific advice on countering online intimidation and abuse, and support for staff experiencing online harassment.
I look forward to working alongside you to strengthen the support available to any of our members and staff experiencing abuse or unacceptable behaviour.