Labour planning social media guidelines for members to stop online abuse

Jeremy Corbyn has previously called for people to be more polite during online discussions

Many users were affected after the social network succumbed to one of its trademark outages (Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)

The Labour party is drawing up guidelines for its members’ conduct on social media in an effort to reduce the level of abuse in online political discussion, according to reports from a meeting of its governing body.

The party’s ruling National Executive Committee has reportedly said it is concerned that recent reporting of the issue in the media had been “very harmful”.

“It was agreed that we need to develop a Labour Party Code of Conduct in relation to the use of social media,” according to an account of the 17 November NEC meeting by Labour member Peter Willsman.

The moves come after Mr Corbyn warned in his party conference speech that “cyberbullying”, especially of the mysoginistic variety, would not be tolerated in Labour.

“I do not believe in personal abuse of any sort. Treat people with respect, treat people as you wish to be treated yourself, listen to their views, agree or disagree, but have that debate. There’s going to be no rudeness from me,” he told his party conference in his keynote speech.

“I want a kinder politics, a more caring society: don’t let them reduce you to believing in anything less.

“I say to all activists, whether Labour or not: cut out the personal abuse, cut out the cyberbulling, and especially the misogynist abuse online, and let’s get on with bringing real values back into politics.”

Former leadership candidate Yvette Cooper had said shortly before that speech that there were “frightening” levels of misogynistic abuse in online political discussion.

She said such abuse was chasing women out of politics, and that it would undermine the party. Ms Cooper called at the time for disciplinary action against members found to have engaged in such behaviour.

Another leadership candidate Liz Kendall also faced significant personal attacks during the course of her campaign.

“Some of the abusive vitriolic stuff on social media has been appalling,” she said in August.

“We are members and supporters of a party that believes in treating people equally and with dignity and respect. That is what we say to the public.”

Labour MPs have also complained of criticism from party members.

Members of other parties have also been criticised for making personal attacks on social media, with some commentators branding aggressive SNP supporters “cybernats” during the Scottish independence referendum.