Guest Blog by the Jo Cox Foundation: Addressing abuse and promoting respect in politics and communities

14th April 2026

Addressing abuse and promoting respect in politics and communities

Guest Blog by Dr. Hannah Phillips. Respectful Politics Policy Manager, The Jo Cox Foundation

The Jo Cox Foundation builds more connected, less lonely, and more respectful communities across the UK - through grassroots social action, partnerships, and national influence. This year is particularly poignant for us because it is the tenth anniversary since Jo was murdered. While we commemorate the tragedy that was driven by division, we also remember the powerful response in which communities connected across difference. 

It is this positive vision of connection that drives all of our work at the Foundation. Through our Respectful Politics work we’re seeking to create  a political culture where anyone, regardless of their background, can participate with respect, where  diversity is celebrated and where robust debate brings us closer to the spirit of Jo’s message that “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”

We’re addressing the growing problem of violence, abuse, harassment and intimidation of elected representatives and candidates, which threatens our democracy. Robust debate is a cornerstone of our democracy but language and action that intimidates people active in politics undermines our democratic values. Abuse leads to politicians stepping down, self-censoring and fewer people putting themselves forward as candidates, with disproportionate impacts on those already underrepresented in our democracy. Engender’s recent report found that over 70% of the women candidates they spoke to had experienced online harassment and only 11% felt “very safe” when campaigning. Many people active in politics tell us that abuse has become so normalised, it is now seen as ‘part of the job.’ 

This culture can change. Through our Jo Cox Civility Commission, we are pleased to work with institutions across the political eco-system to amplify progress to improve our politics. For example, we recommend that the Scottish Parliament social media monitoring scheme continues to be resourced and all MSPs are automatically included. We encourage all political parties in Scotland to promote the Councillors’ Code and engage with the Standards Commission for Scotland materials to promote respect and courtesy.

As we mark ten years since Jo Cox was murdered and remember everything she stood for, we also call on all individuals to take action and commit to:

• Participating in politics with respect by signing up to the Civility Pledge we jointly created with Compassion in Politics.
• Organise or attend a Great Get Together in your community in June to be part of the annual celebration of connection. 

I was pleased to attend the 2024 Great Get Together in Holyrood that brought together politicians from across the political spectrum, even during a General Election campaign (here is a video). Moments like this remind us that disagreement doesn’t have to mean division. Each of us holds the power to reach across differences, to listen with respect, and to build the kind of society we all want to live in.