Britain is facing “post-modern total warfare” as intimidation of politicians intensifies before the next general election, while hostile states, Islamist groups and activist movements are accused of exploiting weaknesses in the country’s democratic system.
Senior parliamentarians said threats, abuse and organised campaigns had reached new levels and were undermining confidence in public life, adding that they feared unless the issue was confronted voters would increasingly turn to fringe political movements.
The comments came as a new cross-party parliamentary group announced an inquiry into election intimidation and the targeting of MPs, councillors and candidates.
Lord Walney, the government’s former anti-extremism tsar, and Nick Timothy, the Conservative MP, said the issue had slipped down the government’s agenda despite a sharp rise in the number of politicians requiring police protection.
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[Walney] said the scale of the problem remained largely hidden because many victims were too frightened to speak publicly.
“Many people have got really horrendous experiences that they’ve been reluctant to share,” he said.
The group will also examine the threats to democratic institutions from hostile states and Islamic extremism. Timothy said this had been brought into focus by the controversy over a decision to ban fans of an Israeli football team from attending a match in Birmingham.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, was urged by MPs and Jewish groups to sack the West Midlands police chief, Craig Guildford, after he was accused of concealing intelligence of local protesters threatening attacks if Israeli football fans were allowed to attend the Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League match against Aston Villa in November.
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Walney and Timothy linked election intimidation to a wider pattern of pressure on public institutions. They said this took the form of attempts to influence universities, energy infrastructure and critical industries, often with backing from hostile foreign states.
Timothy said: “What we’re facing is not hybrid warfare, it’s a post-modern version of total warfare. We’re talking about having our values and our systems and our way of life challenged across pretty much every conceivable field.”
China and Russia were singled out as particular threats, alongside other states and organisations.
As well as state threats, Walney and Timothy highlighted activism from pro-Gaza campaigns, Extinction Rebellion and far-right groups. They argued that there were clear links and patterns across protest movements, including co-ordinated abuse during election campaigns.
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The all-party parliamentary group’s first inquiry will examine intimidation during recent elections and before local contests in England, Scotland and Wales. Walney said: “The local elections are going to be something of a window on to the culture that has now been created.”
He said that unless the political class addressed the problem with what they called “clear-eyed” leadership, the consequences would be severe.
“Either we own this and take the public with us, or the public are going to turn to other people on the fringes,” he said.
Timothy added: “People are very nervous about being divisive but guess what? We’re already divided.”
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