Candidates for Thursday’s general election across the UK shared their experiences of the escalation of hostility as the president of the Local Government Association (LGA), councilor James Jamieson, warned that “a growing number of both online and in person, undermining the principles of freedom of speech, democratic engagement and debate. “ In Scotland, local umbrella organization Cosla is working with Scottish Police to develop personal safety information for the new team of advisers, a move welcomed by Pippa Hadley, who is seeking re-election as a Scottish Highlands Advisor to the Highlands. Hadley was attacked on the street by a member of the public last year who told her it was “a cow that has to be shot against a wall.” The man was later charged and sentenced to imprisonment. “The whole point of being a local councilor is that people know who you are, but that also makes you more vulnerable,” said Hadley, who submitted a proposal to the Highland Council this spring calling for a personal security check for all new members after 5 May. . “People seem to be more aggressive, in part because of the effects of the lockdown. “It’s as if these internet keyboard warriors have slipped into real life.” Graeme Campbell is stepping down from a 15-year South Lanarkshire council post following an ongoing campaign of harassment, including three fires and acid attacks on his home. The former Conservative adviser is convinced that the attacks were carried out by criminals as a result of the work he did in his elected role. Last month, the candidate he hoped to succeed withdrew after an attack of cyberbullying and intimidation. “As a city councilor, you have to be a member of a community and by default people know where you live. “Once you stand you are at the mercy of the public,” says Campbell. “It’s not a specific demographic, but it comes from all kinds of people. “People do not stand for the council because of that.” Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST There are similar stories across the UK and the Guardian is aware of a number of incidents in the course of the campaign which are the subject of police investigations. Last week, Welsh councilors spoke out about the abuse they faced online and from colleagues who led them to resign in this election, resulting in dozens of undisputed seats. Cosla and the LGA offer resources to councilors to manage bullying and cyberbullying, and the LGA seeks evidence of abuse across the country “to further understand the experience of counselors and ensure that strong action can be taken to tackling this growing issue. “ Arooj Shah, the Labor leader of Oldham’s council, bombed her car last year and is facing an ongoing campaign against it. He said: “The tone of the political discourse has become really toxic and this year ‘s election campaign is no different. I have faced racist and misogynistic abuse, harassment, death threats and physical intimidation. “Of course, I welcome the challenge to my policy – it goes with the work. “But no one should tolerate hatred and personal abuse at work.” The situation is particularly acute for women council members. At the end of March, the last session of Glasgow City Council closed with a proposal outlining the barriers women face in entering politics, proposed by Scottish Labor Maggie McTernan and backed by SNP and Green colleagues. “With every woman she spoke to, it was like making a list: cyberbullying, harassment, missing out on meetings, a struggle for work-life balance,” she said. “We have created a situation where people are more likely to be abusive because of this competitive, militant political culture. “It’s a problem for the whole society, but we have to shape something better in politics.” Wolverhampton City Councilor Beverly Momenabadi says she is too scared to campaign on her own and has two alarms with her at all times – a rape alarm and a GPS alarm connected to a security center. “Carrying them around me regularly when I perform my duties in the city council and campaign is not something we have to do. “But because of my experiences, I feel the need for my own safety.” Momenabadi said she became particularly wary of her safety after an incident a few years ago when a man followed her while handing out leaflets that were indecently exposed to her. “People obviously do these things on the Internet and they don’t see the consequences, and I think some of them translate into real life. “It makes me wonder how other young women who want to take a political position should feel.”
