DANGER JUST A PART OF THE JOB’
Politicians tell of terrifying abuse and attacks
DOZENS of MPS have called in the police over chilling threats made against them over the past 12 months, the Sunday People can reveal.
At least 51 politicians have contacted cops since last October following a range of horrifying incidents – including assaults, death threats made against them, their staff and family members, and constituency offices being attacked and invaded.
Our shock findings come after the killing of Tory MP Sir David Amess nine days ago – and Home Secretary Priti Patel raising the terror threat level MPS face from moderate to substantial.
We can also reveal police chiefs are now urging MPS to take a range of special measures, including not travelling on public transport and enrolling
in self-defence classes. And one Northern Ireland MP, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, said he believes the daily precautions he has to take – including carrying a form of personal protection at all times – will soon be adopted on the mainland.
Last night, Labour MP Afzal Khan, Shadow Deputy Leader of the Commons, said: “The numbers you’re found don’t surprise me and for many MPS sadly it’s part of the job. It isn’t a new problem but the number of cases we’ve had to deal with has shot up.
“It can be terrifying. I have chosen to be an MP but my family and my staff haven’t. It has an effect on them and creates stress on them as well.
“Most of it is online and social media stuff, and I think the bulk of it also is linked to events generally, because they tie you into it and you see a spike around certain events.”
Mr Khan, who was with Sir David just two days before he died last Friday, was among MPS who received a suspicious package containing an anti-islamic letter and sticky liquid in 2018.
The member for Gorton, Manchester, added: “All MPS have different experiences, they’re not all the same, but I think at the heart of it there are people who have problems in life and they take it out on their MP.
And one of the issues is that in the case of people suffering mental health problems, the system isn’t that good at helping them.”
Assaulted
The Sunday People contacted all 650 MPS earlier this week to ask if they had received any threats in the past 12 months and whether they had reported them to police.
We agreed to keep their responses anonymous. Of the 56 who replied, 51 said they had called in cops. One prominent parliamentarian told us: “I have had three attacks on my office, five credible threats and all have been reported to the police.
“Most have been dealt with by caution or fixed penalties. One person was arrested and bailed this week.”
Another said: “I have been assaulted and threatened in the course of my duties.” And a third added: “I received two death threats which were communicated directly to police.” In
August, a court heard how Hull North MP Diana Johnson, 55, was left terrified after Aidan Weatherill, 24, sent a menacing message threatening to slit her throat in front of a camera so her family could watch.
Weatherill was made the subject of a hospital order and was given an indefinite restraining order.
Last week, a court heard how Michael Glendinning, 56, left a series of hostile and threatening voicemail messages for Rossendale and Darwen
Tory MP Jake Berry, 42, between March last year and this January.
Glendinning pleaded guilty and was due to be sentenced on Monday but the judge asked for further psychiatriatric reports.
Three weeks ago Daniel Fink, 43, was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, plus a £500 fine, after he admitted sending a threatening message to Oldham West and Royton MP Jim Mcmahon. The Labour member, 41, said: “I took the
seriously. It caused significant anxiety to me and my family.”
One Commons MP who works in Northern Ireland last night told how mainland MPS may have to adopt the same security measures he uses.
Protection
He said: “We regularly work under threat and adopt the general assumption that we are all the time.
“We do as much as possible over the phone in the way of contact and if we are visiting constituents we are always accompanied by colleagues.
“And I carry a form of personal protection that enables me to defend myself. This is on advice of police.”
One of his staff added: “We are recommended not to have our job description in our social media profiles, to vary our daily commute routine so as not to establish any pattern that could be noted, and to be aware of being followed.”
Government advisers are now conthreat sidering implementing Northern Ireland-style security.
A Whitehall source said: “A number of security measures are being considered. It has been suggested police could be sent to guard constituency surgeries but that will be too expensive and impractical.
“There are plans to offer self-defence classes.” Ali Harbi Ali, 25, has been charged with murder and the preparation of terrorist acts following the fatal stabbing of Sir David.
Before the attack on Sir David, the last MP to die violently was Labour’s Jo Cox, 41, who was stabbed and shot by a neo-nazi as she walked to meet constituents in Birstall, West Yorkshire, in 2016.
Four MPS were murdered by the IRA between 1979 and 1990 – Airey Neave, Sir Anthony Berry and Ian Gow with bombs, and the Rev Robert Bradford was shot dead.
In 2010, Labour’s Stephen Timms survived being stabbed by an Islamist extremist at a London East Ham constituency surgery.
In 2000, Lib Dem Nigel Jones was attacked with a sword by a constituent in Cheltenham, Glos, who instead killed the MP’S assistant and best friend Andy Pennington.
in the wake of Sir David’s killing