‘Vile, dehumanising’ attacks on PM condemned by old foe

TORY WHIPS should unmask Conservative MPs who anonymously use “vile and dehumanising language” towards Theresa May, a prominent West Yorkshire MP has said.

Labour former Minister Yvette Cooper criticised “violent” words used by the Prime Minister’s opponents at the weekend, which included suggestions she would be “knifed in the front” and should “bring her own noose” to a Wednesday meeting with MPs.

Mrs May’s official spokesman also slapped down the anonymous Tory MPs, stressing: “The Prime Minister has always been very clear that we must set a tone in public discourse that is neither dehumanising nor derogatory.

“Personal vitriol has no place in our politics.”

Ms Cooper, who was a direct frontbench opponent of Mrs May in recent years on home affairs and welfare briefs, told BBC Radio 4’s that Tories they were normalising violence at a time when women MPs were facing increasing hostility and little more than two years after Jo Cox was brutally murdered.

She said: “This is vile and dehumanising language towards a woman MP, towards a Prime Minister who, no matter how much you might disagree with her, is someone who is doing a job in public life.

“Nobody should be subject to that kind of violent language which I think is normalising violence in public debate at a time when we lost Jo Cox, we have had threats against Rosie Cooper, we have had other violent death threats against women MPs.

“It’s about time we do know who that Conservative MP who is making these threats because maybe if they use that language they will stop doing so if they are being called out publicly from using that kind of vile and irresponsible language again.”

Leaver Mark Francois said the language was “unacceptable” but that he would not tell Chief Whip Julian Smith how to do his job.

He hit out at a “bunker mentality” in Downing Street, telling

“There is a lot of frustration on the backbenches, both among Leavers and Remainers. When you try to convey that to Number 10, no one is listening.”

Pro-Remain Tory Anna Soubry attacked him on Twitter afterwards, saying: “I am appalled that my colleague #MarkFrancoisMP failed unequivocally to condemn the disgraceful and dangerous language used by a fellow Conservative MP against the PM @ BBCr4today he even tried to excuse it. Shameful.”