I am going to kill you and all your family: Threat sent to 24 MPs
POLICE are investigating grisly death threats sent to at least 24 MPs, it was revealed last night. A gruesome image of a beheaded body was sent to MPs of different political parties over recent days, said former Labour minister Chris Bryant. With it was a message warning that they and their families would be killed.
Police have emailed MPs and their staff to warn them they may receive similar messages and urg- ing them to ‘remain vigilant’. The investigation is being managed by the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism command, SO15.
Officers said all the recipients of the email have names beginning with A, B or C – suggesting the message was being sent ‘generically’ and was not directed towards individual MPs. The email contained the message: ‘Warning I am going to kill you and all of your family.’
Mr Bryant, the former deputy leader of the House of Commons, said the frequency of such threats had increased in recent months and the problem was at its worse in his 15 years in Parliament.
A new unit has been set up by the House of Commons authorities to co-ordinate with police over threats to MPs, he said.
‘In the last year there has been a slew of these,’ said Mr Bryant. ‘I’ve received five or six so far this year.
‘It is difficult to know how seriously to take them, but when they mention your family, you have to take them seriously.’
He said concern had increased after the death of Labour MP Jo Cox.
‘The truth is that this is a regular part of what we’re dealing with at the moment,’ he told LBC radio station. ‘I don’t want police to waste time, I don’t want politicians to be treated differently but the truth of the matter is we are in the public eye.
‘Somehow or other this world of the internet has fostered an anger and a bitterness.’
He said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had been ‘very, very slow’ to deal with online abuse of MPs, but did not draw a direct link to the death threats.
‘I think Jeremy’s been very, very slow to deal with that and you need a stronger leader if you’re going to tackle that,’ he said.
Chief Superintendent Craig Naylor, of Police Scotland, said: ‘I can confirm that a number of threats were sent to several politicians on Friday evening, and which have been reported by them or their staff.
‘Police are following a positive line of inquiry. Appropriate advice has been given concerning personal safety and security for the politician, their families, staff and premises.’
A Scotland Yard spokesman said it was investigating a series of threatening emails received by several MPs since last Friday.
‘All of these emails have been received via MPs’ parliamentary email accounts. No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing. This is not being treated as a terrorist incident,’ the spokesman said.
Miss Cox, 41, the MP for Batley and Spen, was killed a week before the EU referendum.
She was shot and stabbed multiple times following a constituency meeting in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on June 16. A 52-year-old man has been charged with murder.
The killing prompted a major rethink of MP security. Most politicians hold open surgeries in their constituencies without any security.
The parliamentary expenses watchdog now offers MPs additional funds to pay for increased security measures in their homes and constituency offices including CCTV, alarm systems and shutters.
Earlier this month, Labour MP Jess Phillips revealed that she was having a ‘panic room’ fitted in her constituency office following threats against her.
‘Anger and bitterness’