Commenting on the publication of the first report of the Speaker’s Conference on the security of MPs, candidates and election, an Electoral Commission spokesperson said:
“We welcome the insights gathered by the Speaker’s Conference on the impact of abuse and intimidation and their proposals for cross-cutting solutions. Candidate abuse and intimidation not only threatens the safety of individuals and their families, but risks deterring candidates from standing, and reducing voter choice.
“We share the Conference’s view that candidates and elected officials need clear, timely and consistent support from the police, and that political parties have a crucial role to play, supporting and vetting candidates. We must also understand more about what is driving abuse if we are to permanently tackle the unacceptable behaviour aimed at political figures.
“We will now look closely at how we can support implementation of the report’s proposals, in partnership with the wider electoral community, and how to improve our support for candidates and campaigners ahead of a big set of elections next May.”