In July 2026, the Mile End Institute asked Londoners about their attitude to political pressure and intimidation.
We found that around two in five Londoners considered at least one potentially intimidatory form of contact with politicians acceptable: following political figures on the street, publishing their personal information online without consent, loitering around their offices or homes, or sending aggressive messages on social media. More than a quarter accepted at least two of these behaviours and 10 per cent accepted all four.
These attitudes coexist with overwhelming support for conventional democratic participation. Some 87 per cent considered signing an online petition acceptable, while 86 per cent accepted writing a factual letter or email to a political figure. The question is where respondents place the boundary between legitimate engagement and conduct that can intrude on politicians’ privacy and safety.
Read our analysis here: Polling London Oct 2026 - Political Pressure in London and the UK [PDF 856KB]
