Cumbrian councillors say they're facing more abuse from residents
There are claims the situation is getting worse
Councillors in north and west Cumbria are facing increased levels of abuse from residents, both in person and online, and the situation is getting worse, it has been claimed.
A senior member of Cumberland Council has spoken of her experience of facing increased levels of hostility from members of the public in Cumbria over recent months.
It follows news that a Cumberland councillor was signed off as being unfit for council duties by their GP as a result of alleged abuse and intimidation from residents.
Recent council meetings have seen heated outbursts directed at members from the public gallery from residents who held strong views, when controversial issues were being debated.
Councillor Lisa Hinton (Currock, Labour), the adult social care portfolio holder, said that until the recent meetings the abuse was largely online but now it was more in person.
She added: “It feels really intimidating but the online stuff is awful to read and after a while you have to stop going anywhere near it because people just feel enabled or empowered to say anything.
“I’ve seen all kinds, especially with women. It is comments on your appearance, you are too fat, you are this, you are that and everything else, you are being stupid, you are not intelligent.
“It’s all just from people who you have never met in your entire life and it surprises me that anybody would speak to anybody like that.
“That is somebody’s daughter or wife. People seem to think that they know you from tiny snapshots or bits that have been written in the paper. I don’t know if people really associate the fact that there is a real-life human person on the end of it?”
She said she had not experienced as much abuse in person as it was mainly online and added: “It seems that if you give someone a phone or a keyboard then they are hiding themselves, aren’t they, and they can say whatever they want.”
Cllr Hinton said it was 10 years since the former MP Jo Cox was murdered and added: “Whilst I think we are at a low risk, but it is that kind of drip feeding of hate that just eats away at people. It doesn’t make for a conducive environment for a future that people desperately want to see in politics.”
She said people go into politics because they want to make a difference but added: “If all you are going to get back is that kind of level of abuse then why would you? So, we end up not getting a properly diverse range of people standing for election.”
Cllr Hinton said outbursts during recent meetings such as ‘you are on warning’ and ‘you had better watch out’ had stuck with her. She added: “You are just trying to do the right thing.
“You have always got to realise in this role you are not going to please everybody all of the time, but the level of abuse is just getting worse and worse.”
Councillor Tim Pickstone (Longtown, Lib Dems), the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: “Nobody should be subjected to abuse or intimidation, in real life and online, and that includes people who we democratically elect to represent us.
“In recent years two MPs have been murdered by members of the public. I know of a number of examples, even here in Cumberland, where elected councillors have been subject to intimidation or abuse, both physical and online.
“This is completely unacceptable so it is very welcome that the council is being proactive in keeping councillors safe both physically and online.”
Councillor Helen Davison (Belah, Green Party), the leader of the Green Group, said that most of what she had faced as a councillor was frustration rather than personal abuse.
She added: “However, I am aware that fellow councillors, and others involved in politics in its various forms, are at the receiving end of much worse.
“Abuse of people simply doing their jobs is never acceptable – whether they’re shop workers, paramedics, council staff or elected representatives.
“When it starts affecting people’s mental or physical health, those responsible need to take a hard look at themselves.
“What is especially worrying is the role of online in hate and abuse. The level of anonymous trolling and hateful comments has risen sharply, especially towards people because of their political affiliation.”
She said it was getting worse and added: “The pandemic was a turning point. Fear, confusion, conspiracy theories and the way the government handled things all contributed to rising anger and mistrust.
“Social media algorithms now amplify the most extreme voices, giving platforms to people who want to divide communities.”
Parish councillor Alix Martin, who is a member of Alston Moor Parish Council, said members also experienced abuse at lower level and more local councils.
They said: “I’ve served my community in unpaid roles for sixteen years. For the last five years, I and other councillors have been subjected to a sustained campaign of public harassment, false allegations, and defamation by a small group of individuals, primarily on social media.
“The allegations have included fraud, theft, financial misconduct, and corruption. Not one has been substantiated by any authority. An independent financial governance investigation in June 2023 found no significant areas of non-compliance.”
Cllr Martin said that there were formal processes underway with both the monitoring officer at Westmorland & Furness Council and Cumbria police, and they were also considering legal action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.