Bermondsey was the dirtiest, most violent British election of the 20th century – and we can learn from it today

‘The key to ensuring sustained voter commitment is rooting the party in communities and serving them all year round.’ Peter Tatchell campaigning in Bermondsey in 1983. Photograph: ANL/REX/Shutterstock

The 1983 Bermondsey byelection took place 40 years ago today and was a key moment in modern British political history. It’s widely regarded as one of the dirtiest and most violent elections in 20th-century Britain.

As a leftwing gay Labour candidate, I was subjected to more than 100 assaults while canvassing. There were also nearly three dozen attacks on my flat, including bricks and bottles through the windows and a bullet posted through the letterbox in the middle of the night. I felt hunted and under siege, sometimes fearing for my life.