Councillor expresses ‘terror’ after being targeted; Norwich City Council endorses “Debate not Hate” campaign

A local council member reported feeling “terrified” and enhanced her home security measures following incidents where she was targeted by campaigners. Beth Jones, a Labour councillor, stated she received 150 phone calls within a few hours, and subsequently faced repeated heckling and interruptions during a council session. “I’d reached a point where I felt really quite unsafe,” Jones commented. Her statement was made after Norwich City Council voted to support the “Debate not Hate” campaign, which was initiated due to an increase in instances of councillor intimidation. The Local Government Association (LGA) operates this campaign, and reported that nearly three quarters (73%) of councillors surveyed by the organization had encountered intimidation or abuse over the last year. Jones, who serves as the council’s cabinet member for housing and community safety, explained that she became the target of a group following a housing decision made by the authority, a decision in which she stated she had no part. The situation commenced with numerous phone calls and subsequently intensified to her being confronted during a meeting. “There was a real implication in the way they said, ‘You must comply by this date.’ “I felt really quite terrified,” she recounted. She expressed concern that the circumstances could worsen, especially given a prior physical assault she experienced in her profession as a nurse. “To some people, they might feel I was overreacting, but when you’ve already experienced workplace violence it’s something that you’re very conscious of,” Jones added. Following her communication of security concerns to the council, Jones stated that additional locks and a doorbell camera were installed at her residence. In a related development earlier this year, a BBC investigation revealed that certain councils had enhanced security measures to safeguard elected representatives and their personnel. The LGA, which acts as a representative body for local authorities, reported that 27% of councillors indicated they would not seek re-election. During Norwich City Council’s most recent full assembly, members unanimously approved joining the LGA’s “Debate not Hate” campaign, an initiative designed to assist individuals in public service who encounter abuse. Charlie Caine, a representative for the Greens, commented that councillors across the political spectrum had endured harassment, including the dissemination of “vile lies” online. “If you haven’t been targeted for abuse, you’re one of a minority of councillors both locally and nationally,” he further stated. Caroline Ackroyd, a Liberal Democrat councillor, observed that abuse, whether online or in public spaces, was “becoming the norm.” Jones, who proposed that the council endorse the campaign by submitting it for a vote, expressed satisfaction that her motion garnered cross-party backing. “If we start expecting people to tolerate this level of threat and intimidation, you start getting the wrong kind of people being councillors,” she asserted. For updates on Norfolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.