Intimidation and harassment of councillors

Purpose of report

For information.

Summary

This report sets out background information to inform the councillors’ forum debate on the intimidation and harassment of councillors.

Recommendation That the LGA councillors’ forum notes this report as background to the debate. Action Officers will respond to any actions agreed by members of the forum arising from the debate.

Contact officer:	Abigail.gallop@local.gov.uk

Position:	Senior Policy Adviser

Phone no:	0207 664 3245

Email:	Abigail.gallop@local.gov.uk

Intimidation and harassment of councillors

Background

Councillors are increasingly being subjected to intimidation, threats and harassment, linked to their role in public office. This was partly highlighted by a report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life on intimidation in public life, which the LGA responded to. Of major concern is the impact that this intimidation is having on the recruitment of new councillors, the wellbeing of existing councillors, and on our democratic systems and decision-making processes.

At the LGA annual conference in July 2019, the LGA launched a guide with the WLGA for councillors on handling intimidation, which sets out both the legislation related to intimidation, threats and harassment, as well as practical tools councillors and councils can adopt to mitigate risk and respond should a situation occur.

Alongside the launch of the guide at annual conference, the LGA held a closed discussion session for women councillors on their experience of intimidation and a workshop building on the guidance.

The LGA has also been contributing to the Online Harms White Paper, which sets out proposals for making online spaces safer. This includes proposals for establishing in law a new duty of care towards users, which will be overseen by an independent regulator. Companies will be held to account for tackling a comprehensive set of online harms, ranging from illegal activity and content to behaviours which are harmful but not necessarily illegal

The discussions at annual conference, as well as at Leadership Board, and the increasing number of reports of abuse and intimidation from member councils has led the LGA to combine forces with COSLA, the WLGA and NILGA to develop the ‘civility in public life’ programme. This was agreed at the UK Forum on 6 November 2019 and was officially launched at an event hosted by the LGA on 16 December 2019.

The purpose of the programme is:

to address the intimidation of local government members and officers

to address standards of public discourse

to address standards of political discourse and behaviour in public office

to provide support and advice to councils and councillors

The implementation of the programme will focus on three elements – prevention, support and challenge. Action includes:

Prevention

improvement support and guidance for our member authorities, building on our existing improvement and leadership programmes and the guide for councillors on handling intimidation

desktop research into the prevalence, impact, good practice and international action on the intimidation of those in public office

Support and intervention

the development of policy and legislative proposals with partners, government and stakeholders that address intimidation and standards of public discourse, particularly with a view to gaining a more consistent and robust response from the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). This includes the proposal for a new criminal offence for intimidating a person in public office and engagement with Police Crime Commissioners (PCCs)

exploring the potential for an informal council ‘duty of care’ towards its councillors as good practice

a revision of the local government model code of conduct with a view to promoting it as standard for all in public office

Challenge

the development of a pan-UK commitment and public statement

exploring opportunities for a public and political-facing campaign

Suggested questions for discussion

How can we balance the importance of free speech against addressing the public intimidation of councillors?

How can councillors address the issue of intimidation, both if they are a victim and supporting fellow councillors?

What support can or should be expected from our councils? What do councils need to enable them to better support their councillors on this issue?

What should the LGA be asking of Government to address this issue?

Appendix A: Biographies

Seyi Akiwowo from Fix the Glitch

Seyi Akiwowo (Shay-ee Aki-wo-wo) is the Founder and Executive Director of Glitch, a young not-for-profit organisation determined to end online abuse through education, campaigns and advocacy. Using her lived experienced and expertise Seyi travels the globe developing practical solutions with Governments, NGOs and companies to protect our online public spaces from hate and abuse.

Seyi is this year’s UK Digital Leader of the Year and in 2018, she was name Stylist Magazine’s Woman of the Week. Her many achievements have been captured in books such as Slay in Your Lane and Misogynation. Seyi is Amnesty International’s Human Rights Defender and is part of the #ToxicTwitter campaign to end online abuse against women.

Seyi has published several reports, spoken on various news outlets including BBC Radio London and Sky News. Seyi has spoken all over the world including Washington DC, Istanbul and Geneva. Seyi was invited back to Geneva to present at the 38th United Nations Human Rights Council on online-gender based violence.

Seyi was elected as the youngest black female Councillor in East London at age 23 and has had nine successful years working in politics and the charity and policy sectors both in the UK and Europe. She is also an expert facilitator in skills, political leadership and inclusion and delivers workshops around the world including London, Montenegro Kuwait and UAE. Seyi is also an inspirational speaker and writer and has written several critical pieces including for the Guardian and gives talks on widening the participation and representation of diverse groups in public life. She is a graduate from the London School of Economics, a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and recently became a Fellow of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.

Cllr Marianne Overton

Cllr Overton has been active for a number of years in raising the issue of intimidation and harassment of councillors with government, raising issues such as the removal of the requirement for candidates to publish their home address on the ballot paper. She has also been active on the representation of women in local government.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe

Cllr Seccombe has been highlighting the issue of the increasingly adversarial, threatening and offensive tone and conduct of local government debate, and its implications for good decision making and the effective representation of our local communities.

Cllr Ruth Dombey

Cllr Dombey chaired the LGA annual conference sessions on intimidation, and has been hearing from a range of councillors about their experiences of intimidation, harassment and threats.