Two-thirds of women in local politics have experienced online threats and harassment

Abuse identified as key reason why women are under-represented in local politics.

One respondent said that a fake Facebook account purporting to be her has been running for two years and 'saying all sorts of disgusting things'.

Two-thirds of women serving in local politics have experienced online threats, harassment, or intimidation due to their role as a councillor, a new survey has shown.

Abuse has been identified as one of the key reasons why women and minorities remain grossly under-represented in local politics.