There is a rising tide of abuse in our politics and I feel it every day. This week, the Electoral Commission warned that harassment and intimidation are changing how candidates campaign, what they feel able to do and whether they stand again. This is a threat to our democracy – and we cannot ignore it.
The figures are stark. Commission research into the May 2026 local and mayoral elections in England found that 55% of candidates said harassment or intimidation was a problem, up from 47% in 2025. Women, ethnic minority candidates and those with disabilities were most likely to encounter abuse. The experience was so unpleasant that a third considered not standing again.
But none of it is a surprise. I have seen first-hand how abuse, threats and violence have increased in our politics over the years. Since I was elected as an MP in 2015, numerous people have been convicted for attacks, threats and abuse against me. Someone was sent to prison for saying a “bullet” to the back of my head was justified, while another person was convicted for telling me “come the revolution, you will be one of the first”.
Followers of my social media know how bad it can be. I have a regular “block of the month” feature to raise awareness of the disgusting racist abuse sent to me every day – the N-word, “monkey” and “ape” are common insults. The deluge of abuse has a detrimental impact on my mental health, and on those around me.
The abuse is not limited to the internet. I have been physically assaulted going home from work, and followed and verbally abused right outside parliament. During the last general election and again in this year’s local elections, I was accosted on the street by a local man who made me fear for my safety. I was told I wasn’t welcome in the area, despite being the MP for Brent East, and that next time “I should come prepared”. I reported the incidents to the police.
This is the hatred I face every day. And inevitably, it changes how MPs operate, how representatives serve the people who elected them.
Several years ago, I had to close my physical constituency office partly due to threats. We had a brick thrown through the window, and on one occasion my staff physically removed someone who turned up with a golf club. While I was once able to host walk-in constituency surgeries, the increased security threat has meant they are now roving, with the constituents pre-vetted. I also have to be accompanied to every event and notify the police of potential dangers. The constant fear risks making our politics less accessible.
Some findings from the Electoral Commission report reflect what I hear from young candidates, especially from minority backgrounds. They worry about canvassing and are also targeted online. Our representatives should reflect the diversity of the population, but this rising abuse will put talented people off entering the political system altogether.
It is important to acknowledge that improvements have been made. The police launched initiatives to strengthen security and support for councillors, elected mayors, candidates and others. In my experience, this has helped. But there is still far more to do. I want stronger and quicker action to clamp down on online abuse, with social media companies tackling it at source, as we know the threat can become physical when culprits feel emboldened. If social media companies fail to remove this content, they should face substantial fines.
I report countless instances of vile racism every month, but very few are pursued. So the police must do more to identify those responsible – and the justice system must show zero tolerance with sentences. I also support restorative justice, so we can work towards repairing the harm caused.
It’s also important that more help is directed to those who are disproportionately targeted. We know that Diane Abbott, for example, has received extraordinary levels of abuse, while I often feel specifically targeted because I am a Black woman.
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And we all have a responsibility to lower the temperature of our politics. I recently wrote to Reform UK to call out the offensive and divisive remarks of the party’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, regarding the birthplace of Sagal Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee from Somalia who is running as the Labour candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection next month. This kind of politics inflames divisions. Yusuf is fuelling hate to boost Reform’s popularity, without caring about the consequences. For him it is a political strategy, but for society it has lasting damage.
We must act now to protect those who put themselves forward to serve, from all parties, and hold perpetrators to account in order to ensure no one is driven out of our democracy by fear and intimidation. If we allow abusers to decide who feels able to participate in our democracy and who is muted, those seeking to silence us will have won. That simply cannot happen.
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Dawn Butler is Labour MP for Brent East
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