Speaker’s Conference reports on abuse and intimidation of MPs and election candidates

An interim report from the Conference has found that threats and abuse are dissuading candidates from standing and making it harder for MPs and candidates to engage with the public. This has worsened over the last decade, with recent trends suggesting it could get worse. 

Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons and Chair of the Speaker’s Conference, said:

“Participating in free and fair democratic processes – as a candidate or a Member of Parliament - is a privilege, and we expect that to come with robust political discourse and debate. But abuse, threats and intimidation should never be part of this job. It threatens the health of our democracy, and forces people to choose between the public good and their own safety and wellbeing.

I am grateful to Members, their staff and the witnesses we have heard from to date for sharing their experiences with us and look forward to working with colleagues on the next phase of the Conference’s work.” 

Survey results of MPs and MPs’ staff

The Conference surveyed MPs and their staff as part of its inquiry:

• 96% of MPs and 69% of MPs’ staff who participated indicated that they have experienced one or more forms of abuse in their role. 
• Half of MPs who responded said abuse and intimidation has made them feel anxious or depressed (49%), and a similar proportion unsafe (52%).
• 1 in 5 participating MPs (19%) said they have hesitated about debating or voting on an issue because of the abuse they expected to receive. 
• Around 1 in 3 participating MPs (29%) said they have considered not standing for re-election, and 1 in 6 (17%) have considered resigning from public office.
• Nearly half of staff who responded to the survey said the abuse they have experienced directly, or witnessed their MP endure, has caused them to feel anxious or depressed (42%) Over 60% and half of staff report feeling unsafe (48%). 

Conclusions and recommendations

• The Conference reached a number of conclusions and made several recommendations in the interim report. 
  Currently electoral law is not fit for purpose when it comes to tackling harassment, abuse and intimidation of candidates. The Government should undertake a full review of electoral law, including identifying practices or processes that unintentionally undermine security or electoral integrity. As a minimum, the Conference recommends:
  • Removing the option for any home addresses to be published as part of the nomination process.
  • Introducing ID and address checks for all candidates.
  • Working with the Electoral Commission to review the adequacy of nomination requirements in protecting elections from candidates seeking to mislead the electorate or undermine the integrity of the democratic process.
  • Reviewing how to make the intention behind section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, regarding false statements of fact in relation to a candidate’s personal character or conduct, enforceable and able to keep pace with technological developments in AI and deepfakes.
• MPs and candidates have a responsibility to lead by example in the way they engage with each other. The Speaker will work with the parties currently represented in Parliament, as well as the Electoral Commission, to develop a code of conduct for all candidates, MPs and parties - a collectively agreed set of principles to guide behaviours and language when campaigning. 
• Despite physical security measures for MPs having come a long way in recent years, many MPs still feel unsafe. But a further increase in security measures would lead to a fundamental and undesirable change in the way MPs carry out their roles and engage with their constituents. The focus must instead be on encouraging appropriate uptake and effective delivery of existing measures, which is covered in this report, and reducing the level of threat posed to MPs and candidates, which will be at the centre of the Conference’s second phase of work.

The full list of conclusions and recommendations can be read in the report.

Next steps

The report sets out the Conference’s plans for its next phase, which will focus on three further issues that have been identified as areas where recommendations for change can be most impactful. These are: 

• Public attitudes towards MPs and candidates
• How threats against MPs and candidates are handled in the criminal justice system
• The role of social media

Recommendations will be published in due course, as part of a subsequent report later this year.

The next public evidence session for the Conference will take place on Wednesday 4 June. 

About the Speaker’s Conference

The committee, which is known as the Speaker’s Conference, was established to help ensure that elections to the UK Parliament are conducted freely and fairly, without threats or violence; that candidates are able to campaign safely, with appropriate protection and support; and that elected representatives can do their job securely.

Specifically, the Conference was directed to consider factors influencing the threat levels against candidates and MPs and the effectiveness of the response to these threats. It was also directed to make recommendations about the arrangements necessary to secure free and fair elections and the appropriate protection of candidates at future UK-wide parliamentary elections and of elected representatives thereafter.  

The House of Commons approved the motion to establish the Conference on 14 October 2024.

How Speaker’s Conferences work

A Speaker's Conference is a cross-party group of MPs brought together by the Commons Speaker to consider a specific topic. The Speaker can call such a conference at any time, either independently or on the Prime Minister’s recommendation.

Speakers’ Conferences have similar powers to select committees and can request documents, call witnesses and take oral and written evidence. They are not bound to the procedures of select committees, however, and have the discretion to operate under the Speaker’s guidance.

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