𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour’s Home Office has been blasted for not providing the contact details of the people in every police force who are responsible for the security of election candidates. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s department admitted it does not “collate or hold contact details”.

Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake had pushed for parties to be given the contact details as part of efforts to protect people taking part in political activities. But security minister Dan Jarvis said people “in immediate danger” should “call 999” and reference Operation Bridger – designed to protect MPs – or Operation Ford, for locally elected representatives.

Mr Hollinrake then asked if the Home Office had contact details for every force.

Home Office minister Sarah Jones admitted: “The Home Office does not routinely collate or hold contact details for individual police forces.”

She said that in non-emergency situations, people could “call 101” or use the “online reporting system”.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, said: “The Home Office cannot even find the phone number for the police, despite promising to connect candidates with them for protection.”

The Home Office dismissed this as “nonsense”, but Mr Philp said: “Labour cannot organise a basic security contact list for people standing for election. Labour has cut 1,300 police officers since taking office in the face of rising crime and a wave of shoplifting. The Conservatives will recruit 10,000 extra police officers and protect the people who put themselves forward for public life.”

Security minister Mr Jarvis had earlier described how elected representatives face “assaults, vandalism, stalking, blockading and a blizzard of online abuse” and it “affects our families and our staff”.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is nonsense to suggest the Home Office does not hold contact details for police forces. This answer relates to a specific operation regarding MPs’ security, which is not a reporting route for crime.

“We are working closely with the police to constantly monitor risks and improve security measures for MPs, as well as meeting our target of delivering 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers to restore visible policing.”