Burgon wades into ‘bullying’ row

LEEDS MP Richard Burgon has launched a vigorous defence of Labour Party members amid the ongoing row over bullying in the party.

The shadow Justice Secretary urged Labour supporters to think carefully about protests outside MPs’ offices but also hit out at what he described as attempts to “demonise” party members.

Mr Burgon also suggested MPs critical of leader Jeremy Corbyn were guilty of bullying those who continue to support him.

His intervention came as Labour’s Jess Phillips vowed to “keep going” as an MP after being forced to ramp up security following death threats.

Ms Phillips tweeted a picture showing a locksmith making the home she shares with her young children safer after facing fresh intimidation.

The MP has faced a stream of abuse on social media over recent months, including threats of rape on Twitter.

Tweeting the photograph, she wrote: “Locksmith spending 6hrs to make my home safe. Think abt how my kids feel next time you mock up a picture of me dying.”

Conservative Nicholas Soames said he was “horrified” by the way the Birmingham Yardley MP was being treated.

In a message to Ms Phillips on Twitter, he said: “I am so horrified to hear of your grotesque treatment and pray all is well with you and your family.”

Many women MPs have faced vile abuse on social media, with some choosing to quit the cyber world to escape the vitriol.

Labour’s leadership has come in for criticism over its handling of the issue, particularly threats and attacks made by supporters of Mr Corbyn who is being challenged for the party leadership by former shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Owen Smith.

Mr Corbyn has been accused of not doing enough to bring his supporters into line.

But Mr Burgon, a key ally of the Labour leader, said it was “not right” to demonise Labour members as bullies, misogynists and thugs.

In a blog for the Labour List website, he wrote: “The leader of the Labour Party has continued to make clear that he is – just as he was before he was elected as leader – opposed to protests outside MPs’ advice sessions for constituents and opposed to protests outside MPs’ constituency offices.

“People considering such protests need to reflect upon the disruptive impact upon the provision of advice and assistance to constituents needing help and the impact upon constituency staff doing what is not an easy or sufficiently valued job.

“But, at the same time, I am not – and others are not – going to stand by whilst hundreds of thousands of decent Labour members are dismissed and demonised as bullies, brick-throwers, misogynists and thugs. It’s just not right.”

The shadow Justice Secretary criticised the bullying behaviour of some MPs and said he had chosen not to draw attention to the attempts of a “tiny minority” of MPs to pressure him over his support for Mr Corbyn.

He went on: “I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the way a minority of my Parliamentary colleagues have treated Party members on Twitter, in person and at meetings.

“MPs deserve to be treated with respect but so do Labour members. As MPs we need to understand it’s not ‘all about us’.

“That’s why I haven’t been press-releasing the energetic but failed attempts by a tiny minority of MPs to bully and intimidate myself and other MPs who support the leader of the Labour Party.”

MPs deserve to be treated with respect but so do Labour members. Richard Burgon, shadow Justice Secretary and MP for Leeds East