DEBATE NOT HATE CAMPAIGN

I have sent the following motion to Stapleford Town Council and this has been seconded by Councillor Donna MacRae, the motion will be debated on Monday 25th September 2023 during the meeting of Full Council.

The Following motion has been received from Cllr R MacRae:

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION – DEBATE NOT HATE CAMPAIGN

The intimidation and abuse of councillors, in person or otherwise, undermines
democracy: preventing elected members from representing the communities
they serve, deterring individuals from standing for election, and undermining
public life in democratic processes.

This council notes that increasing levels of toxicity in public and political
discourse is having a detrimental impact of local democracy and that prevention,
support and responses to abuse and intimidation of local politicians must
improve to ensure councillors feel safe and able to continue representing their
residents.

This council therefore commits to challenge the normalisation of abuse against
councillors and officers and uphold exemplary standards of public and political.
debate in all it does. The council further agrees to sign up to the LGA’s Debate
Not Hate campaign. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the role of
councillors in local communities, encourage healthy debate and improve the
response to and support those in public life facing abuse and intimidation.

In addition, this council resolves to:

• Write to the local Member of Parliament to ask them to support the campaign*
• Write to the Government to ask them to work with the LGA to develop and
  implement a plan to address abuse and intimidation of politicians.**
• Ensure the council has a clear reporting mechanism which councillors can use
  to monitor and record incidents of harassment and abuse of councillors and
  officers
• Regularly review the support available to councillors in relation to abuse and
  intimidation and councillor safety
• Work with the local police to ensure there is a clear and joined-up mechanism
  for reporting threats and other concerns about the safety of councillors and their
  families and discuss the need to take a preventative approach that accounts for
  the specific risks that councillors face, as they do with other high-risk individuals,
  like MPs
• Take a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of councillors and officers.
  Motion moved by; Cllr R MacRae and Seconded by: Cllr D MacRae
  

Background information on this campaign can be found on the LGA
website, using the website address:
www.local.gov.uk/about/campaigns/debate-not-hate