Security of Candidates, MPs and Elections

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon Excerpts

Thursday 12th February 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Royall of Blaisdon]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to implement the recommendations of the Speaker’s Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections.

[Lord in Waiting/Government Whip (Lord Lemos) (Lab)]

The Government thank the Speaker’s Conference for its recommendations. A response was provided last year, which we understand will be published after the Recess. I hope it goes without saying that the UK remains a strong and resilient democracy. The Government are determined to keep it that way and are acting with urgency to implement the measures addressing the conference’s recommendations. This includes working with the College of Policing on guidance for front-line officers and introducing legislation to restrict protests outside public officeholders’ homes.

[Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Lab)]

My Lords, I welcome the imminent publication of the representation of the people Bill and I trust that it is radical and will include recommendations, as my noble friend said, from the Speaker’s Conference. The Jo Cox Foundation, which I chair, called for the Bill to embed standards of conduct, make personal addresses private by default, address online harms, disseminate candidate safety resources and promote political, digital and media literacy. Can my noble friend assure me that those elements will be addressed in the Bill? Violence, abuse and intimidation threaten trust in politics and the functioning of our democracy. We are in desperate need of a political culture in which everyone can safely participate in respectful, robust debate in the spirit of Jo Cox’s message that we have more in common than that which divides us.

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

My Lords, the murders of our colleagues Jo Cox and David Amess weigh very heavily on the minds of all in this House and in the other place, and even more heavily, if I may say so, in the minds and hearts of their families. I thank my noble friend and her colleagues for their tireless and admirable work at the Jo Cox Foundation. The representation of the people Bill is introduced today—so this is breaking news, as it were—and it includes measures which directly tackle the unacceptable issues of harassment and intimidation, ensuring that people are not put off from campaigning or standing for public office. I am sure that our noble friend Lady Taylor will want to talk extensively with my noble friend about it.