Tory MP ‘backed out of Brexit rebellion following threats to safety’

A CONSERVATIVE MP backed down from rebelling over Brexit and was forced to attend a public event escorted by six undercover police officers following threats to their safety, the Commons heard yesterday.

Tory Brexit rebel Anna Soubry said she knew of one MP who would “not vote in accordance with their conscience” following threats, and in a later intervention revealed the police escort.

In a highly charged speech in the debate on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, Ms Soubry told the Commons: “I am getting a little tired of honourable members and right honourable members on the backbenches, in Government, even in the Cabinet, who come up to me and others in quiet and dark corridors, to British businesses who demand private meetings where they lay bare their despair but refuse to go public, to the commentators who say to me ‘You’re doing a great job, keep on going’ in the face of death threats, which mean that one of our number had to attend a public engagement with six armed undercover police officers.”

She added: “That is the country we have created and it’s got to stop.”

Earlier, Commons Speaker John Bercow said he wanted Brexit debates to be conducted in “an atmosphere of mutual respect in which opinions sincerely held will be robustly articulated”.

“No one in this place, under any circumstances, should be under threat.”

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said the Government would uphold the right of MPs to behave in line with their conscience, describing threats of violence and intimidation as “utterly unacceptable”.