'I couldn't go to hustings' Ministers urged to act over intimidation of candidates

MPs and candidates who faced abuse on the campaign trail have pressed ministers to act on intimidation around polling stations and on social media algorithms that push incendiary material.

- Eleni Courea

Half a dozen MPs and candidates attended a roundtable meeting with Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, Dan Jarvis, the security minister, and Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, on Wednesday.

Ministers have said there was an alarming rise in candidate intimidation during the election campaign. Several candidates have spoken about being hounded at campaign events and needing police protection.

At Wednesday's meeting, they discussed the potential for "buffer zones" to restrict campaigning and protesting near polling stations and action on social media algorithms that promote incendiary material.

"Within 100 yards of polling stations there were massive screens saying a vote for Labour is a vote for genocide, and protests right outside," said one of the candidates who attended the roundtable meeting.

Buffer zones have been established near abortion clinics in England and Wales to stop protesters from harassing women who go in, with Scotland passing a similar law this summer.

The issue of TikTok also featured "heavily" at the meeting with ministers, the candidate said, with voters who view material by pro-Gaza independents being fed increasingly problematic and incendiary content.