A Devon councillor who worked alongside Ann Widdecombe says ‘emotive and dishonest’ language from political leaders is putting grassroots politicians in danger.
I’ve had people run up to me in the street, screaming ‘Nazi! Fascist! Racist!’ in my face,” said Teignbridge Reform councillor Stephen Horner, who represents Teignmouth West. “I could feel the spit on my face.”
Another councillor described how someone had called for her to be guillotined.
Cllr Horner was speaking as the council officially adopted the Local Government Association’s Debate Not Hate campaign.
He said he had known Miss Widdecombe for three years, and the veteran Reform politician had helped him with his campaign for election to Teignbridge in May 2025. She died at her home near Haytor earlier this month.
It is believed she was attacked, and her provisional cause of death was recorded as blunt-force trauma. A 28-year-old British man has been charged with her murder.
“We’re still in shock,” said Cllr Horner. He said the reason for the behaviour he had experienced himself had been ‘because people have been given permission by people like the Labour Party leadership and even (Liberal Democrat party leader) Ed Davey.
He went on: “He and others like him gave permission for people to behave like that by using extremely emotive and dishonest language.”
The campaign was first launched in 2022 to address the rising levels of abuse, intimidation, and misinformation directed at local councillors and public officers across the UK. Teignbridge has been considering its response for the past year.
Cllr Jane Taylor (Ind, Kerswell-with-Coombe) said she had been subjected to bullying, intimidation and misogyny, some of it from within the council itself. Independent councillors Liam Mullone (College) and Richard Daws (Ambrook) both said they had received threats.
Cllr Rosie Dawson (Lib Dem, Dawlish NE) told the meeting: “Somebody wrote to this council to say I should be put to death by guillotine.”
Cllr Phil Bullivant (Con, Bradley) said councillors had to work together despite their own differences of opinion.
“There is a need for us all to work together on behalf of the people of Teignbridge,” he said. “If we fail to do that, we run the risk of another incident occurring.”
Cllr Daws told the meeting: “Please can we put aside some of these ridiculous pot-shots and act like grown-ups?”
And council leader Richard Keeling (Lib Dem, Chudleigh) said that while Teignbridge would soon be abolished along with all other district councils as part of the forthcoming local government reorganisation, there was still a job to do.
“We have 20 months left,” he said. “I don’t want this council to be remembered for cheap shots. I want it to be remembered that we were a council that delivered for the residents of Teignbridge.”
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