Date published: 2026-06-16 | Category: Focusing on prevention
Bath & North East Somerset Council has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring councillors and staff can carry out their roles safely, without fear of abuse or intimidation, as part of its work linked to the national Debate Not Hate campaign.
The Debate Not Hate campaign tackles the abuse and intimidation of elected politicians and promotes civil public discourse. Spearheaded by the Local Government Association (LGA) and supported by The Jo Cox Foundation, it seeks to protect local democracy and ensure councillors can represent their communities without fear of harassment.
Today (June 16) marks the tenth anniversary of the murder of MP Jo Cox whose message was ‘we have more in common than that which divides us’.
A report discussed at a recent B&NES scrutiny panel highlights the action being taken to support those in public service, councillors and staff to ensure they feel safe in their roles.
Examples of unacceptable behaviour towards council staff that have been previously reported over the past three years included one worker being driven at, a female colleague followed back to her workplace and threatened with physical violence and another member of staff threatened with a hammer.
While most interactions remain positive, the report acknowledges that incidents of aggressive or threatening behaviour do occur. The council continues to encourage reporting so that appropriate action can be taken and support provided.
The council is working closely with Avon and Somerset Police as part of a national approach to tackling harassment and intimidation of elected representatives. Elected members are encouraged to report any incidents to their local policing team and through established reporting channels.
Councillor Manda Rigby, Cabinet Member for Communications and Community, said: “While robust debate is a vital part of local democracy, abuse and intimidation cross the line and have no place in public life. Councillors are here to serve their communities and should be able to do so without fear of abuse or intimidation.
“Debate and challenge are an essential part of our democracy, but abuse and intimidation are not. No councillor or member of staff should feel unsafe simply for carrying out their role and this applies both online and in day-to-day activities. We take a zero-tolerance approach and will continue working with our partners to support those affected.”
The council has introduced a range of measures to improve safety, including strengthened policies, improved reporting processes and enhanced support and guidance for councillors and staff. It has also published a guide to spotting, understanding and verifying misinformation online and has a set of social media rules setting out how we help keep our channels safe and respectful for everyone to enjoy.
Work across the council will continue to be reviewed to ensure councillors and officers feel supported, safe and able to carry out their work effectively.
Further information on local policing teams and reporting incidents is available at:
https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/your-area/
https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/