Survey Finds 78% of UK Councillors Feel At Risk From Abuse and Intimidation
An exclusive Guardian survey reveals that the majority of councillors report feeling unsafe in their roles, with over half citing increased harassment in the past year.
According to a new survey, 78% of UK councillors say they feel at risk in their roles, while 52% report that intimidation has risen over the past year. The findings highlight a growing problem of abuse and threats targeting elected officials at the local level.
Among those affected is Heather Williams, a Conservative district councillor in South Cambridgeshire for nine years, who has received death threats, threats of sexual violence, and other forms of harassment including having dog faeces left on her doorstep. At one point, Williams did not leave her home alone for more than three months due to safety concerns.
Sources
- ‘A man threatened to shoot me’: the abuse pushing UK councillors out of politics — The Guardian — Politics
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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