When more than half of candidates faced campaign abuse and threats, we are putting their safety at risk

Britain’s election system is working well, and voters retain high levels of confidence in it. That’s the good news from a report this week from the independent Electoral Commission on this country’s 2024 general election. But now the bad news, because it is really serious. Look more closely, and it is clear that British elections face changing threats and challenges about which no one should be complacent.

Easily the most disturbing part of the commission’s report deals with the increased level of abuse to which candidates and campaigners were subjected in the run-up to 4 July. The scale of the problem is staggering. More than half of all candidates who responded to the commission’s inquiries said they faced harassment, intimidation or abuse during the campaign. One-third said they were intentionally made to feel unsafe.