Electoral Commission Report Finds Rising Harassment of UK Election Candidates
A Labour MP has cited new Electoral Commission findings that harassment of political candidates is increasing, warning it is deterring people from standing for office and running for re-election.
Dawn Butler, the Labour MP for Brent East, has written about experiencing abuse, assaults and death threats in the course of her work as a member of parliament, describing rising hostility toward politicians as a threat to democracy.
In an opinion article for The Guardian, Butler referenced a new Electoral Commission report warning that harassment and intimidation are changing how candidates campaign, what they feel able to do, and whether they choose to stand for office again.
According to Electoral Commission research cited by Butler into the May 2026 local and mayoral elections in England, 55% of candidates reported that harassment or intimidation was a problem, up from 47% in 2025.
The research found that women, ethnic minority candidates and candidates with disabilities were most likely to encounter abuse, Butler wrote.
The Electoral Commission's findings also indicated that the experience was unpleasant enough that a third of candidates said they were considering not standing for election again, according to the article.
Butler said the trend risks deterring people from entering public service and undermining the health of democratic participation more broadly.
Sources
- I have faced abuse, assaults and death threats because I’m an MP. It’s making politics a no-go zone | Dawn Butler — The Guardian — Politics
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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