'I won't let this intimidation stop me': Labour councillor speaks out after volunteer chased and 'attacked' by angry resident
A volunteer delivering a newsletter was left “shaken up” after being chased down by an angry resident, before having a leaflet thrown in his face.
Borough councillor Gemma Furnivall, for the Fort Fareham ward, condemned the behaviour after one of her volunteers was “attacked” during the delivery on Sunday, March 22 at a maisonette property which has now been reported to the police.
The Labour councillor said: “We are just at the beginning of the election period so we don’t know what it’s going to be like over the next few weeks.
“I think it’s more common than people think. It was just a chap who was delivering leaflets for me, I wasn’t with him and he wasn’t canvassing. I have a whole group of people that deliver leaflets for me in my ward, so it isn't necessarily people in the Labour party, it’s just people who like what I do as a councillor.
“It was a young man delivering the leaflets in a block of flats when the door flew open and a chap chased him out and threw the leaflet in his face, so this poor man was quite shaken up by it.
“We can’t let this type of intimidation stop what we do. I can’t have this type of thing stop me from doing this, but we shouldn’t have to exist with it.
“You can avoid them. You can put a sign up which we always respect, I have a list of people who don’t want a leaflet so you can avoid getting them. I don’t think this behaviour should be normalised.”
Cllr Furnivall also stressed that her group of volunteers are made up of varying people of all age groups, including a new mother on maternity leave, and no-one should be on the receiving end of abuse or intimidation.
She added: “People are very angry but it is so polarised on all sides so this isn't about a particular group. People are angry and struggling, but we do this job to try and make a difference. There has actually been a special police unit that’s been set up for candidates.”
Operation Ford, which was launched at the start of this year, is a UK-wide policing initiative to provide security and support for locally elected representatives. The new scheme is applicable to councillors, mayors, police and crime commissioners, and political candidates to prevent abuse, violence or intimidation.
“There is a difference between canvassing and delivering a newsletter. I think it’s really interesting that it isn’t just my party because I get a lot of abuse and that is generally about national stuff but to hear that Reform and Lib Dem get the same thing is interesting.
“It is really important that we can disagree and debate ideas about what is best for the country. It is possible to disagree really well together but it takes practice but perhaps it’s just easier to be angry and reactive.”
Cllr Furnivall shared her views on Facebook with her post leading to other candidates also sharing their own recent experiences of aggression.
Ciaran Urry-Tuttiett, the Liberal Democrats candidate for the Uplands & Funtley ward, said: “Regardless of political affiliation, any type of harassment or intimidation is completely and wholly unacceptable. Please make sure this incident is reported to the police.
“This situation happened to one of my leaflet deliverers last month. He reported it to the police too.”