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Electoral Harassment in Britain: Sources, Victims, Effects, 2017-2024

Elections
Elites
Political Violence
Representation
Campaign
Candidate
Survey Research
Empirical
Wolfgang Rüdig
University of Strathclyde
Sofia Collignon
Queen Mary, University of London
Wolfgang Rüdig
University of Strathclyde
Bridging the Gap: Bringing Studies of Political Representatives and Studies of Citizens into Dialogue

Abstract

Candidates who stood in UK General Elections in 2017, 2019 and 2024 reported increasing levels of harassment during the election campaign. Based on candidate surveys conducted in all three elections, we analyse the sources of harassment as well as its victims and effects. Whom do candidates identify as the sources of harassment, threats and abuse experienced? Are some candidates more likely to experience harassment than others? And what are the effects of harassment on the political career of candidates? The paper provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of the electoral harassment phenomenon in Britain and discusses its implications for the future of representative democracy.