Suspect seized in MP death threats inquiry
Labour leadership contender wants an end to abuse
A MAN has been arrested in Scotland on suspicion of making threats to kill in an email to Labour Party leadership contender Angela Eagle.
Merseyside Police said the suspect is being questioned following an arrest in Paisley, Renfrewshire, yesterday.
A police spokeswoman said: “A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill.
“Officers from Merseyside Police executed a warrant in Paisley, and arrested the man.
“The arrest comes after an email was sent to Wallasey MP Angela Eagle.”
On Tuesday, it emerged a brick was thrown through the window of Ms Eagle’s constituency party office – a day after she announced her leadership challenge to Jeremy Corbyn.
Following the incident, Paul Stuart, co-vice chairman of the Wallasey Constituency Labour Party, said it was not an isolated incident and Ms Eagle had been on the receiving end of a series of “really vile” homophobic emails and phone calls.
In response to the criminal damage, Ms Eagle said Mr Corbyn needed to “get control” of his supporters.
Mr Corbyn went on to issue a statement calling for calm and urging party members to treat each other with “respect and dignity”.
A spokesman for Ms Eagle said: “Angela wants to thank the police for their swift response. Angela has never been intimidated by bullies and never will be.”
LABOUR risks becoming the “new nasty party”, leadership candidate Angela Eagle has warned.
Ms Eagle borrowed Theresa May’s famous 2002 description of the Conservatives as she called for action from the Labour leadership on “abuse, misogyny, homophobia (and) anti-Semitism” affecting the party.
Her call came shortly after Labour’s National Executive Committee suspended all local party meetings amid reports of intimidation, bullying and threatening behaviour – just days after a brick was thrown through her own constituency office window in Wallasey on Merseyside.
The party has suspended its constituency party in Brighton and Hove and annulled the results of a recent election following accusations of abusive behaviour, an improper ballot and entryism by far-left activists.
Turning Jeremy Corbyn’s “kinder politics” catchphrase against him, Ms Eagle said that Labour needed “a kinder politics in reality” and must not end up “in the gutter”.
The former shadow business secretary, who quit the shadow cabinet to launch her challenge to Mr Corbyn’s position, asked party members at a social event in Wolverhampton: “What attracted you to the Labour Party in the first place? I’m guessing it didn’t involve abuse, misogyny, homophobia, anti-Semitism and the opportunity to picket Labour events...
“The Labour Party can’t become the new nasty party for women, or indeed for anyone else. It’s a place where everyone should play a part. Men and women. Old and young. Black and white. Gay and straight...
“We need a kinder politics in reality, which is why I’ve called on the leadership to not just call out such behaviour but to take action too.
“I’ve launched a campaign called ‘Keep It Comradely’. We should be proud of the Labour movement and what we have achieved. I don’t want Labour in the gutter. I want it in power.”
Ms Eagle said that ordinary party members had been “let down by those at the top of the party” who had failed to make progress at local elections, delivered a “lacklustre and half-hearted” EU referendum campaign and lost the faith of many voters who “look at Labour and think we don’t get it”.
Her comments came as her rival for the Labour leadership, Owen Smith, won the backing of one of Mr Corbyn’s most loyal MPs.
Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens was one of 40 MPs who refused to back a no confidence motion in Mr Corbyn.
But she has now told supporters she will back Mr Smith in the leadership contest.
Despite dozens of resignations from his front bench and a 172-40 vote of no confidence from his MPs, Mr Corbyn has refused to step aside. He retains the support of Labour’s big union backers and earlier this week won the right to
‘‘ We should be proud of what we have achieved. I don’t want Labour in the gutter. I want it in power
feature on the leadership ballot paper without having to clear the hurdle of collecting nominations from 51 MPs or MEPs.
But shadow Wales secretary Paul Flynn said his leadership may have “passed the tipping point”.
He said: “It was understandable when the born again Blairites were plotting against Corbyn and then it increased into the coup last week, the avalanche.
“But it gets to a tipping point when it’s taking in the new left. You wonder if it’s possible to rescue it from there.”
Mr Smith postponed the launch of his leadership campaign, scheduled for yesterday, following the previous night’s terror attacks in Nice.The Labour Party declined to comment on the suspension of its Brighton and Hove branch, saying only: “We do not comment on private meetings or ongoing investigations.”
A spokesman added: “No abuse of any kind by Labour Party members or supporters is tolerated.”