In the 2019 election over 50 MP’s stepped down, many referencing the horrific abuse they suffered whilst campaigning.

Here is a thread for election candidates on what to do when faced with abusive behaviour (1/8)

Jo Cox was a passionate campaigner, activist and humanitarian. She was devoted to her job and strived for equality.

We must work collectively to eradicate this abuse and make politics a favourable and attainable career for all. (2/8)

The @ElectoralCommUK has constructed a guide into the handling of abusive behaviour made towards candidates:

Consider your safety when canvassing,
Report abuse tool on all social media,
Keep recordings of any intimidating behaviour.
(3/8) https://www.jocoxfoundation.org/abuse_guidance_candidates

The guidance shows situations in which there is an immediate threat and the police should be called. It is vital that candidates are aware of these “Red Flag signs”: situations which pose an immediate danger and require police intervention. (4/8)

Repetitive online abuse, discriminatory abuse and a fixation (deliberate targeting of an individual) may constitute a criminal offence and should be reported to local police to investigate. (5/8)

It is essential that we tackle targeted online abuse.
The UK internet association ( @InternetAssn_UK) produced resources for candidates to tackle abuse on social media in 2019 (6/8): https://uk.internetassociation.org/blog/resource-for-parliamentary-candidates/

We have been working closely with candidates to ensure a commitment to a respectful election campaign, with the establishment of the 2021 election pledge, promoting a strong message of kindness, adhering to Jo’s message of ‘more in common’. (7/8)

In honour of Jo, let's eradicate abuse from the British political landscape and encourage the younger generations to engage without the fear of backlash of abuse.

Keep the fire of politics alive through debates, passion and dedication, not hatred and anger. #MoreinCommon. (8/8)