When Andy Burnham returned to Westminster as an MP last month after a decade away, what shocked him most was the security. Since the 2017 Houses of Parliament terrorist attack, security has tightened with armed police, vehicle barriers, and heavy fencing. Violence, abuse, and intimidation towards MPs, staff, and families are growing exponentially, with hundreds of rape and death threats reported.
The Widdecombe Killing and Its Impact
The killing of Reform UK spokesperson and former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe at her home in Devon last week has resonated strongly. Dr Hannah Phillips from the Jo Cox Foundation says the response must extend beyond physical security to change the toxic culture.
Growing Threats and Normalization
Tom Fairweather, office manager for an Essex-based MP, describes a sadly familiar routine: checking on his team after news of another attack. He witnessed the development of Operation Bridger, the police protective security programme expanded after Jo Cox's murder in 2016. Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle says MPs' safety keeps him awake at night.
Phillips says: "More and more people in public life are saying experiencing some form of violence, abuse or intimidation is expected. That normalisation is something we're really concerned about."
Evidence of Worsening Threat Level
A substantial report from the Electoral Commission on the 2024 general election found that over a quarter of candidates experienced harassment, intimidation, or abuse at least four times. Women and ethnic minority candidates were more likely to report serious abuse.
Labour MP Jess Phillips told the Guardian that MPs receive so many rape and death threats they have to remind themselves not to be blasé. Former Conservative MP Dame Penny Mordaunt revealed she hasn't had a day without a live police investigation into rape or death threats since losing her seat in 2024.
On Wednesday, a man was arrested over an alleged threat to shoot Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who estimates 300 threats per month. Threats are moving offline, with MPs' staff describing in-person threats, doxing, and stalking.
Impact on Democracy
Phillips says evidence shows this is affecting political participation. When a tranche of women MSPs stepped down from Holyrood in May's Scottish parliament election, many cited harassment. Candidates are self-censoring, avoiding in-person meetings and online engagement.
Electoral Commission research found some candidates didn't participate in hustings due to fear of abuse. "That's really concerning for our democracy," says Phillips. In 2023, Girl Guiding UK revealed more than a third of girls are deterred from careers like politics due to abuse of high-profile women.
Solutions and Community Building
Andy Burnham has called for a serious review of MP security. Operation Ford is a new scheme extending Bridger-style resources to local politicians and candidates. The Scottish parliament offers online threat monitoring for all MSPs since 2024.
Jess Phillips says the threat must be tackled at source, citing social media platforms' refusal to take responsibility. The Jo Cox Foundation supports a campaign for an elections code of practice for social media companies, focusing on disinformation risk assessments.
Phillips says: "To address this complex problem, we need broader political and societal change." The Jo Cox Foundation focuses on connecting across difference, improving community cohesion, and generating more respectful politics. Research for the tenth anniversary of Cox's death found that while communities feel more divided, a third remain committed to improving connections.
People who feel well connected to their local community are most likely to report meaningful interaction with people of different political viewpoints. Groups like the Salaam Shalom kitchen in Nottingham tackle interfaith bigotry, and Back on the Map revitalised a Sunderland neighbourhood after far-right riots in 2024.
"Social connection is not just nice to have," Phillips says, "it's a bedrock of safe, resilient, cohesive society."
