Corbyn ‘doesn’t care’ about internet abuse
Labour leader accused of ignoring online attacks on MPs as he launches digital manifesto
JEREMY CORBYN has been accused of ignoring online abuse in his digital manifesto released days after 25 MPs received death threats.
The party leader has laid out his plan for digital inclusion but critics say he has failed to mention the need to curb online abuse, an issue that has dogged his leadership campaign, with women suffering particular abuse. An identical death threat is understood to have been sent to cross-party MPs.
Asked about online abuse at yesterday’s launch event, Mr Corbyn said: “It is appalling. I have set up a code of conduct on this. The Labour party has a code of conduct on this, and it does have to be dealt with.”
But he neglected to include the issue in his digital manifesto and appeared to liken certain types of online abuse to conversations in the pub. “Everyone should learn that when they put something on Facebook or Twitter or online in an email, that is exactly the same as if you’d put it in the print media in any other way, with exactly the same protective laws of libel or slander,” he said.
“Many people use instant access to Twitter more or less like they’re continuing a pub conversation, and deeply regret the abuse that they sent to people at that time. Unfortunately, it’s there for eternity, in some way or another, on the internet. And so there does have to be quite strict codes of conduct.”
Chris Bryant, a Labour MP, criticised Mr Corbyn’s failure to mention the need to curb online abuse.
“Considering 25 MPs this weekend were sent an identical death threat say- ing they were going to kill us and our families along with a photo of a decapitated man I think it’s an oversight,” said Mr Bryant, a former shadow cabinet member.
He added: “The abuse of women online is quite extraordinary, it’s sexist, violent, entirely misogynistic and if you want real equality in modern life frankly then you’ve got to have a new charter of responsibility and new criminal offences related to social media and the internet – Jeremy seems not to care about that.”
Mr Corbyn’s policy launch in east London was dogged by technical problems after the live online stream failed. It also emerged that Richard Barbrook, the man behind the digital manifesto, had tweeted his disapproval for moderates. He wrote: “Tell the Blairites that they ran a c--- Remain campaign.”
In another tweet, he said: “It would be a good idea if Labour MPs represented the views of the membership not Portland Communications!”
Portland, a PR firm has been accused of being behind the so-called coup to remove Mr Corbyn from the party leadership, a claim it has strongly denied.
Wes Streeting, a Labour MP, said: “Presumably Mr Barbrook’s colourful language is another example of the ‘kinder, gentler’ politics we’ve come to know and love under our dear leader.”
Some MPs have called for better security to protect them in their constituencies after Jo Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was murdered in Leeds.
In an article, Jess Phillips MP, wrote that “the internet has heightened the risk to women in public life”.
Mr Barbrook had not responded last night to a request for comment.
Jeremy Corbyn is on course to win the Labour leadership contest, with a strong lead over his rival Owen Smith. A YouGov poll for The Times put Mr Corbyn ahead at 62 per cent, compared with Mr Smith at 38 per cent.