MP tells of ‘mindless’ online attack on the day of her husband’s funeral

An MP has described how she was subjected to a “mindless” and “vindictive attack” on the day of her husband’s funeral.

Edinburgh West Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine said her team was accused of breaking the pause in campaigning during the general election following the Manchester terror attack when she was instead burying her husband.

She told the Commons that she initially put the comment by a “known activist from an opposing party” down to a “genuine mistake or misunderstanding”, before realis- 0 Christine Jardine described online abuse to her fellow MPS ing it was an attempt to “gain political advantage”.

She said: “On a day when I was coping not just with my own grief but with that of my daughter, I had to put up with a mindless, vindictive attack.” During a debate on the abuse and intimidation of candidates and the public, she said: “I was surprised: my husband’s death had been widely reported, but the abuse was retweeted, explanations were demanded and there were more abusive comments. So partly to avoid embarrassment for my abuser when he realised his mistake, I replied and I explained.”

But Ms Jardine said the abuse then escalated, adding: “And that was when I realised that for many of those now ploughing in with comments – all that mattered was the opportunity to appear clever with sarcastic comments.”