It’s more vital than ever that leaders set an example

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has revealed she called in police after a threat was made against one of her children. Here the East Dunbartonshire MP writes on how the divisive and angry Brexit debate is increasing the risk of violence

THE tone of the debate in the House of Commons this week was the worst I have experienced in my 12 years as an MP.

Our Parliament is a place to question, scrutinise and debate. But all of that is achievable in a respectful tone.

When Parliament returned on Wednesday, MPs across the House were right to expect the Government to show some remorse.

The Prime Minister misled the public, the Parliament and the Queen.

His desperate attempts to stop Parliamentary scrutiny by locking out the people’s representatives earned him the unanimous rebuke of 11 Supreme Court justices.

In any other world, a prime minister in this situation would return with their tail between their legs, issue an apology and resign.

But this Prime Minister waltzed in with groundless self-belief and began spitting vicious and furious insults at those who disagreed with him.

He was told that what was at stake from his careless rhetoric was the safety of our elected representatives and their families – and at that he scoffed.

It has never been more clear that Boris Johnson is simply not fit to be Prime Minister.

People look up to the office of Prime Minister.

A leader should set an example. They should lift our debate, listen to others and BY JO SWINSON Leader of the Liberal Democrats show off the best of our Parliament. When Boris Johnson mocked the appearances of Muslim women without apology, he failed at this.

When he chose “girly swot” as his insult of choice, he failed. And when he dismissed the concerns from MPs about their own safety yesterday as “humbug”, he failed.

Jo Cox’s murder is a chilling reminder of the devastating and extreme real-life consequences that sowing seeds of hatred and division in our communities can have.

When Jo was murdered, politicians of every faith and faction stopped campaigning for days, because basic humanity is more important than political posturing.

Boris Johnson failed to show that humanity when he spoke so callously in the face of repeated calls by friends of Jo Cox to moderate his language.

We live in an era where dozens of MPs have had death threats.

People have gone to jail for harassing and threatening MPs. MPs have panic buttons, alarm systems, reinforced security at their homes.

It is more vital than ever that leaders in our politics set an example and make sure that politics is seen as a noble pursuit, not a grubby game.

The Liberal Democrats will keep on fighting for the heart and soul of Britain.

JO SWINSON