Petition Ban anyone convicted of terrorism offences from standing for public office
Introduce a new legal disqualification so people convicted of terrorism offences (in the UK or abroad) cannot stand as candidates or hold elected office, including local councils.
More details
This is needed because current local election disqualification rules focus mainly on recent imprisonment thresholds (for example, being sentenced to 3 months or more within the last 5 years) and therefore may not prevent individuals with serious historic convictions from standing today. The Electoral Commission notes that the returning officer cannot confirm whether a candidate is disqualified and candidates self-declare their eligibility when submitting nomination papers.
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Government responded
This response was given on 1 April 2026
Anyone sentenced to 3 months or more in prison is disqualified for 5 years from local government. We keep the broader counter terrorism framework under constant review to ensure it is fit for purpose.
Read the response in full
Currently anyone who has received a custodial sentence of 3 months or more, suspended or not, is disqualified for 5 years from standing or sitting as a member of a local authority. Councillors and candidates must declare anything that might disqualify them from standing for or holding local office. Not doing so is potentially a criminal offence.
For the role of Police and Crime Commissioner, an individual is disqualified from standing for, and holding office, if they have ever been convicted of an imprisonable offence.
As regards Members of Parliament, the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and the Representation of the People Act 1981 set out the criteria which disqualify an individual from membership of the UK Parliament.
The UK has one of the strongest counter terrorism frameworks in the world. This includes a range of specialised counter terrorism powers which support detection and disruption of terrorist risk, as well as a robust toolkit for managing terrorist offenders upon their release. We always keep this framework under review to ensure it is fit for purpose in the context of emerging threats. This is supported through independent scrutiny provided by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government