Police across the UK will be better equipped to protect election candidates from abuse, intimidation and violence under a major package of new measures announced ahead of this May’s local and devolved elections.
A new national police unit will be launched this month to identify and target offenders who threaten or harass candidates. Bringing together specialist officers and intelligence experts, the unit will collate reports from across the country, identify repeat perpetrators and support local forces to build stronger cases. The new structure builds on measures already used to protect MPs, extending the same level of safeguarding to all individuals standing for public office.
The announcement forms part of a wider series of actions set out by the Security Minister in Parliament, aimed at cracking down on the rising tide of abuse directed at elected officials.
For the first time, candidates standing for the Welsh Senedd and Scottish Parliament will receive the same dedicated police protection as those contesting other elections, as Operation Ford is expanded. Every police force already has a named officer responsible for supporting local election candidates and delivering personal security briefings throughout the campaign period.
Frontline police will also receive strengthened national guidance, giving clearer instructions on how to respond effectively to incidents involving politicians. To reinforce this, the Security Minister has written to the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, urging forces to make full and proactive use of their existing powers to protect candidates from harm.
Alongside operational policing measures, the Government is working directly with social media companies to strengthen online protections. Platforms will be expected to promptly escalate unlawful threats and abuse to the police. Under the Online Safety Act, technology companies have clear duties to identify, remove and prevent illegal content, including threats against election candidates and public officials.
The Security Minister has also called on elected representatives at all levels – local, national and devolved – to “stand together” against the growing threat of intimidation and to report every incident. Reporting, he stressed, helps law enforcement identify patterns of behaviour and intervene before individuals face serious harm.
Concerns have grown sharply over recent years. According to the Electoral Commission, 55% of candidates in the last general election reported experiencing abuse or intimidation. A separate 2025 Local Government Association survey found that seven in ten councillors suffered abuse within the past year.
Officials warn that this climate risks deterring people from standing for public office, threatening democratic participation and representation at a time when communities need it most.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis commented:
“Harassment, intimidation, abuse, and violence are not acceptable political expression. We will never tolerate it, nor allow it to become the new normal.
“This is a year-round task, but we’re ramping up action ahead of local elections by putting in place protections and support for those campaigning, and ensuring any offenders face tough consequences.
“To the public and those who serve them, protecting our democracy is a shared responsibility. We all must call out this abuse whenever and wherever we see it.”
The measures complement the ongoing work of the Defending Democracy Taskforce, which coordinates action across government to address threats to political safety and integrity.
Under Operation Bridger, each police force has a dedicated superintendent who acts as a point of contact for MPs outside the Parliamentary Estate. Alongside this, Operation Ford provides all local representatives with a dedicated officer to deliver personal safety briefings before, during and after elections.
A suite of landmark bills currently progressing through Parliament will further strengthen protections by:
- restricting protests outside the homes of public office holders
- introducing tougher sentences for offences involving electoral intimidation
- removing the requirement for candidates acting as their own agents to publish their home address
Once passed, these measures will give candidates and elected representatives greater privacy and security as they carry out their democratic roles.
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