Councillors across England have warned of the ‘dangers to democracy’ posed by fake news, as more than half say they have had misinformation published about them.
A survey published by the Local Government Association (LGA) ahead of its annual conference this week revealed that 52% of councillors report that they have had untrue or misleading information about their conduct published.
Seven in 10 councillors also reported experiencing abuse and intimidation and feeling at risk during the last 12 months.
The survey found that councillors with protected characteristics are more likely to experience abuse than others.
Eight out of 10 (84%) female respondents feel at risk when fulfilling their role as a councillor, compared to six out of 10 (66%) of their male colleagues, while 84% of councillors from an ethnic minority background feel at risk compared to 72% of white respondents.
Cllr Marianne Overton MBE, chair of the LGA’s Civility in Public Life Steering Group, described the results of the survey as ‘distressing’.
‘That more than half are saying they’ve been subjected to misinformation around their personal and political conduct is worrying and is having a corrosive impact on our democracy and councillors’ wellbeing,’ she said.
‘It is particularly worrying that people are more likely to experience abuse because of their identity. Local government works best when councils reflect the communities they represent.’
