Half of all councillors have had untrue information about them published, LGA survey finds

The survey, which asked members a range of questions regarding potential abuse they have experienced from the public, also revealed that the rate of reported abuse and intimidation continues to be high, with seven in 10 councillors reporting experiencing issues in the last 12 months.

One-quarter of respondents meanwhile said that they or someone closely connected to them had experienced a threat of violence or death, and 21% of these had reported an incident to the police, showing the serious nature of these incidents.

The figures appear largely unchanged when compared to a similar LGA survey published in October last year, which found that 23% of councillors have suffered abuse serious enough to report it to the police.

Among those who said they had experienced abuse in this year's research, the survey found that one in ten (11%) had had private information made public, 64% had experienced abuse online, and 59% had experienced in-person abuse.

In addition, 8% had reported experiencing a member of the public come to their home in an intimidating or inappropriate manner, and one in 20 reported being stalked by a member of the public.

Some (one in 20) also reported property damage, and 3% reported actual violence as part of their councillor role.

The data meanwhile showed that councillors are more likely to experience abuse than others based on protected characteristics, with 86% of disabled members reporting experiencing abuse or intimidation in the last 12 months, compared to 68% of non-disabled members.

Meanwhile, 84% of female respondents said they felt at risk when fulfilling their roles as a councillor, compared to 66% of male councillors.

Women who had decided not to stand for election again were more also likely to cite possible abuse as a factor in their decision (32%) compared to men (20%), according to the data.

Similarly, 37% of disabled councillors who said they wouldn't stand again cited abuse as a factor compared to 22% of non-disabled councillors.

Elsewhere, 34% of LGBT+ councillors reported an incident of abuse or intimidation to the police compared to 20% of heterosexual councillors.

The survey also found that 84% of councillors from an ethnic minority background feel at risk when fulfilling their role as a councillor, compared to 72% of white respondents.

Cllr Marianne Overton, Chair of the LGA's Civility in Public Life Steering Group, called for the Government to work with the LGA to combat the rise of abuse and threats of violence.

Cllr Overton added: "These results are distressing – people who are serving their communities should not be receiving this sort of treatment.

"That more than half are saying they've been subjected to misinformation around their personal and political conduct is worrying, and is having a corrosive impact on our democracy and councillors' wellbeing."

She added: "It is particularly worrying that people are more likely to experience abuse because of their identity. Local Government works best when councils reflect the communities they represent.

"Councillors work hard for their communities, and keeping in close touch with and supporting all parts of their communities is very rewarding."

Adam Carey