MP worries toxic debate 'puts people off politics' after credible death threat made against his family
“Unfortunately these threats are not uncommon”
An MP has claimed that he is “worried” about the toxicity of modern politics after he received death threats while his wife and young daughter were at home.
Rother Valley MP, Jake Richards, was answering questions in the House of Commons when he got a message from his team asking him to call them “urgently.”
“It’s not the kind of message that they would send, so I knew something was off”, he told The Star.
“I called them afterwards and they essentially said that the police had been informed of a credible threat to me - and not just me, my family as well.
“And look it’s really scary - unfortunately these threats are not uncommon but when you get one which is more credible then you do worry about in particular your family.
“I had to call my wife straight away.”
Police are currently investigating the matter and have arrested someone in connection to the incident.
The Labour MP said that these kinds of situations “make you question where it’s right for your family to be in public life” as he faces increasingly “toxic” remarks online.
He notes the matter is particularly concerning as he has a two-year-old daughter at home, who may be put in danger because of his position.
“I speak to MPs who’ve been in Parliament for 10, 15, 20 years and they say it’s worse now even than it was during the heat of the Brexit referendum,” he added.
As to why threats are so bad now, he went on to say: “I think people are angry about the state of the country and the world - and frankly they’re right to be.
“Things haven’t been going well enough in our country for many people over a long period of time.
“But secondly I think there’s a kind of increasing demonisation of politicians, and I see this in my constituency every day, there is a demonisation of other public servants.
“Teachers are receiving more threats than they ever did before - the number of staff who are subject to assault and abuse in our NHS is going up as well.
“So I think there’s a bigger issue about public servants and frustrations boiling over.”
Issues around public figures’ safety has become a national issue in the past week, after the murder of Ann Widdecombe, who Richards described as a “ferocious, impressive woman.”
The former Conservative MP and Reform UK spokesperson was found dead in her home in Devon on Thursday, July 9, with counter terrorism police now questioning a 28-year-old man who was arrested in Rotherham on suspicion of her murder.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament that police forces will be discussing safety measures with serving MPs, as debates around what further security can be offered continue.
However, as suggestions for increased, round-the-clock security are made, Richards - who says he now needs security for events advertised in advance - argues that a wider issue on how political debate is conducted needs to be had.
He added: “Obviously, we’d like to see security improved and be as robust as it can be, but you can’t be safe all the time.
“Ultimately the truth is that if you want to be a public figure in this environment then you have to accept there’s some risk.
“That’s a really difficult thing to say, but it’s true.
“We need to have a more healthy political environment to ensure we properly tackle this, and that’s a longer-term change that’s needed.”
He goes on to say this is not about any one party, condemning the threats to Nigel Farage and admitting “people on the left can be awful about people on the right.”
“I think it puts people off politics,” he added.
“We need good representatives, whether they’re right-wing, left-wing, whatever - we need good people.
“I’m really worried that the nature of our debate will put people off, in particular female candidates because the councillors at Rotherham Council who get the most abuse are women.”
Richards says that currently most of the abuse remains online though and he won’t let it stop him from doing his job.
He recalled one person who online called him a “traitor” who “should be deported” or put into prison, but when they met in person was “charming.”
He continued: “When I go out on the streets - I’ve been an MP for two years now and I can count the incidents where someone is being rude to me on one hand.
“No one's been abusive or threatening to me in real life, even people who would never vote for me or disagree with me, they really appreciate the work I’m doing and they always talk to me in a quite constructive way.
“It’s just online, people hiding behind their keyboards, it’s a different environment.”