Council leader tells of social media death threats

Louise Gittins has been the council's leader since 2019

The leader of a council in Cheshire has said she has received death threats on social media and she feared it might put people off a political career.

Cheshire West and Chester Council leader Louise Gittins said she was "horrified" by some of the comments and messages which had been sent to her.

Ms Gittins said some trolls had suggested she should be shot or beheaded, but she had no intention of quitting politics.

“I think negativity breeds negativity, so I try to be as positive as I can,” she added.

Ms Gittins, who was first elected as Labour councillor in 2011 and became leader in 2019, told Your Questions Answered on BBC Radio Merseyside the abuse “comes in ebbs and flows”.

“If there’s a particularly thorny issue that’s been dealt with, then I feel unsafe because we get trolled quite a lot on social media,” she said.

“I hate to say it, but it’s generally men.

“I have had comments like someone needs to put a gun to her head, her head should be put on a plate and presented to the MP."

When asked by presenter Tony Snell if she felt more vulnerable as a woman, she said: “Yes, absolutely."

She said she felt the abuse was putting women off coming into politics, adding: "I want to inspire particularly young women to come into politics because they want to, and they can help change the world.”

She said she had ways of coping with the trolling.

“I try to see it myself as that is in my role as leader of the council, and actually Louise Gittins is a person who lives with her husband, has a life and all of that,” she said.

Ms Gittins said she was on social media “a lot” and tried to stay “positive”.

Despite the challenges, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, she said she wanted to continue in the role, adding: “I’ve got a job to do and I want to carry on until I achieve everything I want to do."