Women General Election Candidates Defiant Despite Police Warning Against Campaigning Alone

Labour’s Rosie Duffield has vowed abuse and death threats “won’t stop women” from campaigning to become MPs at the snap winter election. 

The ex-Canterbury MP, the newly-elected chair of the female parliamentary Labour party, made the defiant statement as police issued fresh safety guidance amid widespread concern for female candidates’ safety. 

Assistant chief constable Garry Cannon, elections lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said candidates should have their phones charged, inform someone else where they will be and campaign alongside volunteers. 

But Duffield, who won applause in the Commons when she shared her own “exhausting” experiences in an abusive relationship, told HuffPost UK: “We acknowledge that it is scary, but we’re not gonna let it stop us.” 

It comes after the Brexit crisis saw MPs, in particular women, repeatedly subjected to death threats and abuse during the last parliament, with some, such as Labour’s Paula Sheriff resorting to installing panic buttons at their homes. 

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, Cann said elections “usually pass off without significant incident” and he had “no particular reason to think it will be any different” in 2019, but candidates must be safety-conscious.

He said: “It may well be the case that candidates will want to brief their staff, many of whom will be volunteers, on things like working in pairs or making sure you have a charged mobile phone with you, making sure someone knows where you are so if you do need to call for help you can do so.” 

Duffield said the election was “nerve wracking” for all candidates, but particularly women. 

“All of us are at risk at the moment and in this job I’m afraid, and what really worries me about that it is discouraging other women to come forward,” she said. 

“There are some people who worried about going out late at night,” she added. “The people with the most abuse and the most threats, that definitely applies to them, but they’re also determined that it won’t stop them.

“They won’t let it stop them representing women. They won’t let it stop them representing everyone in the democratic right to have an MP. 

“And I think that’s almost winning out over the fear because that’s what’s really important.” 

Labour’s Tracey Brabin, who is seeking to be re-elected in Batley and Spen, which murdered MP Jo Cox once represented, and Liberal Democrat Luciana Berger, who has been targeted for anti-Semitic abuse, have already ruled out canvassing alone in the dark.

Duffield, who is campaigning for re-election as the Labour MP for Canterbury, accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of contributing to the toxicity of the debate around Brexit with the “lowest common denominator type of language”. 

She called on candidates to “support each other and try to raise the tone of political debates”. 

Of female candidates, she said: “We’ve got access to security measures, if we need them, and our local police forces are all aware of what they’re going through.” 

Johnson was at the centre of criticism when he called anti-no-deal Brexit legislation passed by backbenchers “the surrender act”. 

“The tone of the language can get desperate and really unpleasant,” she said. “It did a little bit last time but I fear that it’s going to get even worse.” 

She added: “In a way, this election is all about chickens coming home to roost. We have not as a parliament been looking out for each other.

“We haven’t had respectful debates and this mess that we’re in is a result of that.”  

Maria Miller, who was the Tory chair of the women and equalities committee and is contesting the Basingstoke constituency, said research had showed two in three MPs had considered not standing again. 

She agreed that all candidates and leaders should temper their language. 

“As we get into a general election, it is important for everybody to put democracy first and to stop the sort of abuse that has become almost everyday,” she said.

“Some of the abuse may not be violent or threatening but it can be just as damaging for our democracy.” 

She dismissed concerns that the darkness of winter presented an additional risk. 

“I think there can be few MPs or candidates who haven’t campaigned in winter months in by-elections,” she said. 

She added “all political leaders need to think about the language they use” but said Johnson was able to “engage” people in political debate and does not stoke up hatred.  

“Boris Johnson is an asset in a general election because he engages people in the political process and that is what we need more of.”