Abuse has no place in political debate

POLITICS is a tough business. Anyone who wins elected office knows that at the next election there will be campaigners marching the streets arguing that he or she should be sacked. This is not a way of life for the faint-hearted.

While in the Assembly or Westminster or a council chamber, people expect to have to fight for their plans and defend their decisions – both against opponents and within their own parties. Jumping into the political arena can be a daunting experience for even the most confident and thickest-skinned individuals.

But nobody should have to face the type of public abuse that is sadly now endemic in our democracy. MPs and AMs are subject to savage attacks on their character which can only be intended to intimidate them and destroy their electoral chances.

Byron Davies faced the false claim that he was under investigation for electoral fraud while running for re-election as the Conservative MP for Gower.

Twitter user Dan Evans has now admitted making defamatory statements, apologised and is understood to have agreed to make a “substantial contribution” to a charity of Mr Davies’ choosing.

Mr Davies’ legal success may well encourage other MPs who have been attacked online to fight back – especially if they believe falsehoods are in danger of being accepted as fact. Others will simply hope that this case will make others think twice before sharing a potentially damaging message online.

This week’s debate in the House of Commons about anti-Semitism laid bare the toxicity of the attacks that too many MPs face. Less than a century on from the Holocaust, it is clear there are many individuals who are infected with this form of deadly hate.

Anti-Semitism should have no place in our society and must not be tolerated on the political left or right. History shows us that this irrational but destructive prejudice surfaces in radically different societies with horrific results, which is why vigilance is justified in condemning all manifestations of this madness.

It is sobering to realise that a substantial number of people, when granted the anonymity and the opportunity that an online platform affords, choose to express vile hatred. This shows how far we have to go in the work of not only challenging intolerance, but in changing attitudes that are as disgusting as they are dangerous.