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Written question asked by James Cleverly (Conservative) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026. It was answered by Alison McGovern (Labour) on Thursday, 25 June 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Defending Democracy Taskforce: Councillors

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps (a) his department and (b) the Defending Democracy Taskforce is taking to tackle intimidation of councillors.

Answer

Councillors play a vital role in our democracy by stepping up to serve their communities. The Defending Democracy Taskforce (DDTF) is committed to ensuring that all elected representatives are able to fulfil their duties free from harassment and intimidation. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 removes the requirement for a local government member’s home address to be published in council registers of interest to ensure they feel safe in their own homes.

The DDTF is continually reviewing vulnerabilities in our democracy to identify gaps where our response can be strengthened, recent progress includes introducing legislation to protect the homes of all public office holders, strengthened guidance for police responding to incidents involving elected representatives, expanding the Operation Ford policing support for local councillors across the UK and the establishment of a Home Office funded Operation Ford Threat Assessment Centre, improving understanding of threats, including harassment, against locally elected representatives across the UK.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
10638
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Councillors Intimidation Defending Democracy Taskforce
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk