Wealden councillor talks about the impact receiving death threats has had on his life

Ben Cox, one of just two Labour Party members on Wealden District Council says he has been terrified by threats against himself and his family.

Cllr Cox spoke publicly about the threats at last week's full council budgetary meeting to determine the level of council tax scheduled for the forthcoming year.

He said: "I deleted several screenshots from my phone for my own mental health. I had reported them to police and at a safety briefing it was highlighted to me that I was deemed 'high risk.' But some of them were truly horrific. I've been told 'I should get cancer,' people threaten to run me over or and attack me with acid. All this has only happened since the last General Election. Some people must be disproportionately angry.

"When people are identifiable I've been to see them and they are fine face to face."

"My social media is awash with hate and attacks but I delete and block. The one that really upset me was about an 80-year-old woman supporter who lives on the Ashdown Forest on her own having lost her husband a few years back.

For someone to give out her address online, tell people to go and see her is disgusting. I can manage myself but to attack my volunteers actually affected me personally. I felt powerless and worried for people. It isn't right in our politics."

Cllr Cox also cited the shocking attacks on both Jo Cox MP and David Amess as examples of how threats can easily transform into direct action 'and the trouble is you don't know which could do so.'

He went on: "When door knocking I've had people spit on me, telling me they will kill me if I don't get off their land and also telling my my family should be ashamed of me.

"Overall it hasn't been the best few years for myself and other councillors. I know public life is hard but it gets silly when people do this. Politics has become more febrile and our level of public discourse has become unacceptable.

"The Trust independent group in Uckfield seems to push anger towards political parties, with multiple posts about how we are all dodgy, criminal or not to be trusted. The comments get aggressive about myself and other candidates and the political party that isn't a party allows it to happen."

It's not only Labour members who are threatened. He explained how Uckfield MP Mims Davies also receives threats. "Overall it makes me question if I should ask people to help me campaign? I don't want people worried, hurt or anything else just for me. The only thing that keeps me doing what I do is the drive to make people's lives better and to give a voice to people from my background.

The social media post he refers to includes comments about one of Cllr Cox's canvassers. Among them are the words: 'A Labour voter - she comes from an inherited wealthy family, lives on the 'Ashdown Forest and is on the Board of Conservators. Labour is committed to ensuring millions of homes for illegal migrants seeking asylum - would she allow a sell-off on parcels of Ashdown Forest land?" "She also opened her s****y Passat car door into my car and didn't apologise. Just got into her s**t heap car with her grown-up nappy-dependent son and drove away. The snottiest, stuck-up woman you'd have the displeasure to meet."

The Sussex Express has tried to find out what Trust Uckfield members have been saying and we await a reply.

--Susan King Senior Reporter Sussex Express Mobile 07976 800 195