The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Fears for MPs’ safety as 53 cases reported
A specialist police team set up to investigate crimes against MPs has probed morethan50complaints in the six months after the murder of Jo Cox.
Cases of hate-filled messages, harassment and criminal damage were reported to the Metropolitan Police’s parliamentary liaison and investigation team between last August until early February this year.
It received 33 reports of malicious communications – which can includeTwitter trolling – 13 reports of theft, three reports of harassment and four allegations of criminal damage.
The figures come amid mounting concern that MPs are facing unprecedented levels of abuse online.
Late last year, it emerged that nearly £640,000 was spent on bolstering security for MPs in the wake of the killing of Ms Cox, who was shot and stabbed by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair on June16, justdaysbefore the EU referendum.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell (York Central) received grisly threats from people with far-right views in the wake of her colleague’s murder.
She said she had no idea being an MP would open her up to such “detestable” abuse. And she fears the level of vitriol aimed particularly at female MPs could put otherwomenoff standing for parliament.
Tom Brake, the Lib Dem chief whip, said that while armed police patrol the corridors of Westminster, MPs have become targets on sites like Twitter.
He said: “I would suspect every single member of parliament has received this abuse.” But he added: “I don’t see any desire on the part of members of parliament to lock themselves away and sit behind bulletproof glass to conduct their surgeries with their constituents.”