The LGA has produced a new toolkit as part of its Debate Not Hate campaign
Back in June, the LGA launched its Debate Not Hate campaign against the intimidation of councillors, amid growing concerns about rising levels of abuse and toxic debate and their impact on our local democratic processes.
Since its launch and publication of the accompanying report, ‘Debate Not Hate: the impact of abuse on local democracy’, work has progressed on producing a toolkit to help individual councillors and councils get involved in the campaign.
As identified in the report, respondents to an LGA ‘call for evidence’ of abuse and intimidation identified a growing normalisation of abuse against politicians, leading to increased volume and frequency of abuse, particularly online.
This was supported by findings in the LGA’s recent ‘National census of local authority councillors 2022’, where seven in 10 councillors reported experiencing abuse and intimidation within the past 12 months, and one in 10 experienced abuse frequently.
Now the LGA is calling for all councillors and councils to be united in tackling the increasing level of abuse and intimidation aimed at local politicians with the help of the LGA’s new toolkit and assets.
The toolkit offers a range of resources and actions that individual councillors and councils can use to support the campaign. These include incorporating digital assets across council channels, and using our template press release to raise awareness of the issue.
Councils can publicly declare their support for the campaign using media resources to promote healthy debate to the public, councillors and candidates in the lead-up to local elections and in council meetings.
We’re also encouraging all councillors, government leaders, and relevant partners – such as the police, social media companies and political parties – to join the 400 signatories so far and sign up to our public statement. This calls on the Government to work with local authorities and partners to set up a working group to develop and implement an action plan to address the abuse of local politicians and concerns about their safety.
Councillors are as much a part of the community as those they represent, and they should not expect to be subjected to any form of abuse because of their position.
It’s vital that we come together and push for concrete action to protect current councillors and ensure potential future councillors feel safe to stand for election.
Local democracy is the cornerstone of communities across the country and anyone, regardless of their background or political affiliation, should feel safe and proud to represent their community.
Debate Not Hate resources
- Access the Debate Not Hate campaign toolkit and assets.
- Keep up to date on the work of this campaign by signing up for our dedicated newsletter.
- Find out more about the Debate Not Hate campaign, where you can share your personal experiences of abuse and intimidation.
- The LGA is offering free workshops for councillors on personal safety and handling abuse.