A Conservative candidate standing at the General Election has called out the ‘horrendous’ abuse she has faced while campaigning. 

Joanne Howey says she has faced daily threats and abuse online as she bids to become the MP for Easington, County Durham. 

The county councillor in Bishop Auckland is taking part in her first General Election campaign. 

Posts on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, advertising her campaign have had hundreds of replies, and she admits some responses have been “scary”. 

In a post on social media, she said: “ Ah, and the abuse continues. Luckily, working for a female MP, I have learned how to grow a thick skin and laugh at the abuse. However, this is why so many good people, and mainly women, keep away from politics.”

Ms Howey previously worked for former Bishop Auckland Tory MP Dehenna Davison as a caseworker in the community. 

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service she added: “The abuse is horrendous.  It’s scary. My Facebook is full of it too.”

New research by the Electoral Commission found candidates in the May 2024 local elections faced significant levels of abuse. In England, 43 per cent of candidates surveyed reported experiencing some kind of abuse or intimidation. 

The issue was particularly severe among women candidates, with 56 per cent avoiding campaigning alone, compared to 19 per cent of men. Nearly half (47 per cent) of the women who responded avoided discussing controversial topics to keep themselves safe, compared to 20 per cent of men who responded. 

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The Electoral Commission has published updated guidance and urged candidates to report any serious incidents or threats to the police. 

There have been heightened safety fears for elected officials since the tragic deaths of former MPs Jo Cox and David Amess. 

Su Moore, Chief Executive of the Jo Cox Foundation, said: "Through the Jo Cox Civility Commission, we highlighted how abuse and intimidation of politicians negatively affects democracy in the UK and this new research reveals the scale of abuse in our elections, with particularly stark figures on how it is impacting women candidates.”