I will treat you with respect, and so will the staff who work in my office, when speaking to you over the phone, by email, in writing or at a surgery appointment.
In return please be respectful when you speak to us. I understand that you may feel strongly about a subject, or may be affected by a stressful or distressing issue when you seek my help, but we deserve to work without fear and I will not tolerate abuse or anger directed my staff.
I will report the following to the police and will not respond to further requests for help:
- Violence and threats of violence
- Physically threatening or intimidating behaviour
- Racial, sexual or other types of harrassment
If I or my staff experience other types of abusive or unacceptable behaviour we will give you a chance to change your behaviour and explain why before we stop helping or replying to you, or ask you to leave a surgery appointment. I may also not accept or respond to future communication or surgery appointments, or may do so in a limited way or via an intermediary. This will be explained to you in writing. Examples of abusive or unacceptable behaviour include:
- Insulting, degrading or patronising language
- Malicious accusations and allegations of criminal behaviour or corruption without evidence
- Racist, sexist, ageist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic or religiophobic language and comments
- Infringing on the personal and private life of myself and my staff
For my safety and yours, there will be a security presence when I hold constituency surgeries and other open events. You may be subject to a non-intrusive search.