MP hits out at abuse of reporter

LABOUR MP Jess Phillips has condemned abuse of the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg following reports that the high-profile journalist needed a bodyguard at Labour’s annual conference.

Ms Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, hit back at trolls who told her Ms Kuenssberg had exaggerated or made up the story.

Ms Kuenssberg is being accompanied by security guards at the Brighton conference after abuse from people who accuse her of bias against Labour or party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Ms Phillips said on Twitter that the reports “make me sad”, adding: “In 2017 women cannot feel safe at work. If we ignore abuse when it comes from our allies we are hypocrites.”

But she then found herself dealing with trolls who claimed the story had been invented or exagerated.

Replying to one, Ms Phillips said: “Can we not overlook that you’re a blatantly biased bully being vastly abusive for political purposes.”

She told another he was “part of the problem”.

Ms Phillips said: “Wow, the men responding to me being sad about violence against women in the workplace would make a great training tool.”

Other Labour politicians have also condemned the abuse of Ms Kuenssberg, including former deputy leader Harriet Harman and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott.

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