Sunday People

A year in jail for candidate abuse

It’s No Country for Cold Men, eh Javier? Law to hit hate mobs

- By Nigel Nelson POLITICAL EDITOR

NO Country for Old Men baddie Javier Bardem turns Antarctic p-p-protection­ist to meet a penguin.

Bardem, 48, also dived 885ft in a minisubmar­ine, right, to boost Greenpeace’s campaign to create an Antarctic ocean sanctuary.

He said: “It’s incredibly important to go down and document species in all their colourful existence to prove the importance of protecting a unique ocean.” PROTESTERS who disrupted a speech by Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg would face up to 12 months in jail under a new law proposed by Theresa May.

On Tuesday the PM will unveil plans to create a new offence of intimidati­on in public life in a speech to mark 100 years of votes for women.

She will say: “British democracy has always been robust and opposition­al but a line is crossed when disagreeme­nt mutates into intimidati­on.”

The new law, due to come in early next year, will also cover threats made on social media. Intimidati­ng parliament­ary candidates will be an offence and council candidates will no longer have their addresses published on ballot papers, bringing them into line with prospectiv­e MPs.

Backbench Brexiteer Mr ReesMogg was caught up in a scuffle on Friday when a group of Bristol anti-fascists burst into a meeting at West of England University.

Last week Claire Kober, Labour leader of London’s Haringey Council, dramatical­ly quit claiming bullying and sexism by Jeremy Corbyn supporters.

And Labour bigwig Angela Eagle had her Wallasey, Merseyside, constituen­cy office vandalised when she challenged Mr Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2016.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott has complained of rape and death threats and both online and offline racial abuse.

Mr Rees-Mogg was unhurt in Friday’s fracas. He said: “People who don’t agree with me wanted to make their point, and I don’t object to this. We live in a free society and freedom of speech is very important.”

Police are investigat­ing but no arrests have been made.

 ??  ?? SURFACING: Javier and Greenpeace pal
SURFACING: Javier and Greenpeace pal
 ??  ?? PROTEST: Rees-Mogg in scuffle
PROTEST: Rees-Mogg in scuffle

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