An assault on our democracy! Politicians faced 'unacceptable' harassment and threats from pro-Palestine activists during the general election campaign, says security minister

Candidates faced 'unacceptable' harassment from pro-Palestine activists during the General Election campaign, the security minister warns today.

Dan Jarvis, writing on MailOnline ahead of the first meeting of the new Government's Defending Democracy Taskforce, condemns the aggressive tactics as 'an assault on democracy itself'.

The summit will discuss the fallout from the election in which multiple candidates standing in Muslim areas complained of harassment by campaigners pushing for the Government to take a much tougher line with Israel over the war in Gaza.

Newly appointed Home Office minister Jess Phillips, who was heckled at her election count in Birmingham with shouts of 'shame on you', said it was the worst election she had stood in. 

While Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said British politics needed to 'wake up' to the threat after masked men had disrupted a community meeting she was at, 'terrifying' those in attendance.

Mr Jarvis writes that 'in too many places across Britain' the election was 'marred by harassment and intimidation'.

Citing the experience of Ms Phillips and Ms Mahmood, he adds: 'Such unacceptable behaviour affects candidates and campaigners right across the political spectrum. It stifles debate and deters people from engaging in politics.

'It is an assault on democracy itself, and this Government will not stand for it. 

'That is why we are taking steps to ensure the UK is a place where everyone can exercise their democratic rights freely and without intimidation.'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday held talks with MPs to discuss their experiences. 

Today she will convene the first meeting of the Defending Democracy Taskforce since the election to discuss measures to prevent a repeat of such intimidation in the future.

The group was set up by the last Government primarily to protect the democratic system from foreign interference.

Today's agenda will focus instead on the domestic threat in the wake of Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7 and the fallout from the Israeli response in Gaza.

The Mail on Sunday revealed this week that every new MP has been issued with a panic alarm because of record threat levels.

Mr Jarvis says that with two MPs murdered in the past decade – Jo Cox and Sir David Amess – and politicians facing unprecedented threat levels, highlighted again by the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, much of the focus will be on ensuring that elected office holders 'feel safe to go about their work'.

By Dan Jarvis, Security Minister 

Earlier this month, citizens across the UK went to the polls. Over 28 million votes were cast. 335 candidates were elected as MPs for the first time. This, to quote the former Chancellor, is the magic of democracy.

And yet in too many places across Britain this important moment was marred by harassment and intimidation. My colleague Jess Phillips has spoken of community activists being shouted at in the streets. The Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, recounted how masked men had disrupted a community meeting, terrifying people in attendance.

Such unacceptable behaviour affects candidates and campaigners right across the political spectrum. It stifles debate and deters people from engaging in politics. It is an assault on democracy itself, and this government will not stand for it.

That is why we are taking steps to ensure the UK is a place where everyone can exercise their democratic rights freely and without intimidation.

Yesterday, the Home Secretary convened a roundtable of MPs to discuss their experiences of the general election. Today she will chair the first meeting of the Defending Democracy Taskforce under the new government - bringing together Ministers from across government along with representatives from law enforcement and the intelligence community to tackle the full range of threats to our democracy.

Those threats are myriad.

As we look around the globe in a year that will see elections in more than 50 countries, political violence has become all too common.

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump earlier this month took the life of a former fire chief and left two others wounded. This year, there have been attempts on the life of political leaders in Slovakia and South Korea.

In the UK, we have seen the murder of two Members of Parliament: Jo Cox and Sir David Amess. The 2017 Westminster terrorist attack resulted in the deaths of five people, including PC Keith Palmer. These were tragedies for their families and friends, as well as democracy.

Elected office holders must feel safe to go about their work. Government plays a crucial role by ensuring the police and authorities have the tools and resources they need. But there is also a role for politicians in taking some of the heat out of political debate. As the Prime Minister said recently, 'We must heed the words of President Biden to lower the temperature of our democracy, work across our disagreements and find each other's common decency.'

Of course, not all of the threats that we face are so visible. Foreign states are working around the world to undermine democracies and to influence elections in their favour.

Recent months have seen authorities in Germany, France and the Czech Republic call out Russian interference campaigns, ranging from online propaganda to alleged payments to European politicians.

Here in the UK, Russia's federal security service, the FSB, have targeted MPs, peers, journalists and civil servants. And the National Cyber Security Centre has assessed that Chinese state-linked actors targeted the emails of MPs in 2021 and were responsible for a compromise of the Electoral Commission's systems.

And whether state-backed or not, misinformation is now a feature of our online discourse.

These threats are complex and evolving. Tackling them will require new ways of thinking: working across party lines, coordinating with international partners, and collaborating with industry. It will require a genuinely whole of society approach.

We are ready for this and through the Defending Democracy Taskforce we will bring to bear the full range of tools and capabilities to meet this generational challenge.

Democracy is precious. This government is committed to doing whatever it takes to defend it.