Elmbridge: Councillor to stand down after abuse and intimidation

Mrs James is vice-chairwoman of the council's planning committee

A Surrey councillor said people "scowling at her" on dog walks and sending "nasty" emails led her to decide she would not stand again.

Caroline James described the abuse and intimidation councillors faced as "extraordinary".

Having received "nasty" emails that left her "open-mouthed", she said she would not stand in another election.

She spoke in the wake of a Jo Cox Foundation report on tackling abuse and intimidation in British politics.

Mrs James told Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme she was at her "wits' end" after intimidation had got worse in the last three years.

The Elmbridge Borough councillor, who represents Thames Ditton & Weston Green Residents' Association, said she felt threatened in her role as "people know where you live".

"I live right in the middle of the community - I have had people scowling at me as I walk out with the dog," she said.

'Put off by abuse'

Although "pretty resilient," Mrs James said she had never experienced such personal abuse as when she became a councillor in 2018.

"It feels like people are shouting through your letterbox," she told BBC South East.

Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, chair of The Jo Cox Foundation, said: "There are plenty of tough people who have got an enormous amount to contribute to their communities and nationally who are being put off by the abuse, and that's bad for democracy."

Mrs James said social media companies also needed to do more and she had heard nothing back after reporting online abuse.

"I haven't got the time and the emotional energy to combat endless misinformation on social media," she said.

Mrs James is due to stand for election again in 2026, but said: "I'm never standing again."

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