After a deputy was stabbed to death
Fear on the streets of Britain is chasing parliamentarians
A girl lays a bouquet of flowers at the spot where Representative Ames was murdered.
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Ames was stabbed during a meeting with his constituents.
From the source
Representative Cox suffered the same fate.
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The prime minister and senior parliamentarians use inflammatory language that increases threats.
AFP
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The death of British Conservative MP, David Amis, as a result of being stabbed several times during his meeting with his constituents in Essex, shocked British political circles, brought to mind the murder of MP Jo Cox five years ago, and raised concerns about the security risks faced by members of the British Parliament. In an era of increasing hatred and polarization.
Representatives are talking about threats
When members of Parliament called one another to discuss the horrific news of their colleague being killed in the line of essential duties, the list of their horrific experiences immediately and lengthily flowed.
"Speaking with colleagues this afternoon, I realize that none of us has not made a list of troubling threats that occurred to him or took place in his constituency," said a cabinet minister.
Sir Charles Walker, a member of the House of Commons committee that handles MPs security, said he was appalled by the number of MPs who had reported threats and abuse to the House of Commons authorities.
"Living in fear has become a routine part of the lives of many of my colleagues," he said.
"A lot of people have amazing self-control and courage, but it shouldn't go on like this," he added.
Shocked by the death of Sir David Amis, MPs' WhatsApp groups quickly filled with some public statements that they might be leaving their constituencies for safety reasons, while others said they didn't know if they could carry on with their work.
Spending on security has increased dramatically in the wake of the murder of British MP Jo Cox, and the problem appears to be on the rise, after a large number of MPs have revealed the threats they have received.
Among these threats, a representative stated that someone described the model of his car and where he was driving it during the weekend, another warned a representative that he knew the school where her children attended, and a member of Parliament was forced to act as a security guard in his constituency.
Some lawmakers said they had already changed their exit times just to reduce the risks they might be exposed to and move to safer places.
A former minister said, "We try and manage our meetings by phone these days, and if we do meet, we do it in the office now, not in empty halls."
"Everyone said that online abuse remained common, while having to report a threat or aggressive behavior to the police is something that usually happens."
lax security measures
While Cox's killing in 2016 led to tighter security and centralization of abuse complaints against MPs, there is great disparity among MPs over how they conduct business in their constituencies, and there is little agreement among them on how to make life safer for them today. .
A former minister said: "All the public meetings that we hold, we do not announce the place and time in advance." He adds, "I think it should be this way."
Another Conservative MP said: "I only meet my constituency once a month at the moment, but most Saturday mornings I meet them in the middle of the main streets and farmers' markets, where any voter can get close to me and my chancellors, and that's important. Too much for these meetings.”
some challenge
Some were eager to show defiance on Saturday, and Elmette and Rothwell Conservative MP Alec Shelbrook was among those who insisted on constituency meetings. “I want my constituents, regardless of whether they voted for me or not, to be able to approach me on the street, in the pub, in the supermarket, or wherever I belong.”
High Peak Conservative Representative Robert Largan also went ahead with his meetings and said he wanted to "defend democracy."
growing threats
However, for some time there has been evidence of a rising tide of abuse and aggression against MPs. Spending on parliament's security has expanded dramatically in recent years. In 2015 and 2016, just £171,000 was spent on MPs' security. By 2017-18, that amount had increased to £4.2m. Alarm buttons were installed, the doors of the departments' offices were strengthened, and the alarm systems were improved. According to Metropolitan Police data, MPs reported 151 alleged crimes to the police in 2017, rising to 342 in 2018, an increase of 126%. A BBC poll in 2019 revealed that more than 60% of those questioned had contacted the police about threats they had received in the previous year.
"When MPs are surveyed about the type and level of threats and abuse they receive, we see that the past five or six years have seen a very bad situation in this regard," said Alice Lilly, a researcher at the Institute of Government.
“I think the discussion is likely to revolve around whether more practical measures should be taken, should there be a reduction in face-to-face meetings?
I think this is something a lot of MPs are reluctant to do.”
The MPs said that the number of abuses they and their employees face daily online, and death threats, are constantly increasing.
"It is undoubtedly an epidemic," said one of the senior MPs. "The numbers of people now imprisoned or facing trial for offending or threatening MPs are enormous, it is a British disease."
inflammatory language
Another issue that MPs mentioned repeatedly on Saturday is the inflammatory language used by their colleagues, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and senior Labor figures, such as Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner, who has come under fire for calling the Conservative Party "scum". during her party convention.
Former MP Paula Sharif criticized Johnson's speech in 2019, warning that words like "surrender" raise the temperature and remind him of what happened to Cox.
But the prime minister dismissed her call as "nonsense."
Several MPs pointed out that Ames' desire to reach the public ended his life.
“We, as MPs, try to be known and available to everyone,” said one of the ministers. “A successful MP is someone who people feel they can go to in the pub or sometimes when they are shopping,” he says. “We don't want to talk to people through Glass panels or having two burly guards, maybe the days of outdoor encounters are over, and the one who hurt us will find another way to hurt us.”
• After the shock of the death of Sir David Amis, members of Parliament's WhatsApp groups quickly filled up with some public statements that they might leave their constituencies for safety reasons.
• A former employee who worked for the former MP, Paula Sharif, who found a swastika on the threshold of her office, said that the police mocked a letter the perpetrator had left threatening her.
criticism of the police
Several deputies noted the police's failure to take threats against them more seriously.
While some have had good experiences, others say the police only contact them in moments of extreme danger, such as last week's attack, and officers often simply ask them, "What action do you want us to take?"
One female parliamentarian said she stopped reporting after being frustrated with the police response: “Parliamentary police and local police are often at odds, and there is no consistency between them in assessing risk as a result.” She added, “I gave up on reporting any threats, because the police believed You are not in danger unless someone actually attacks you.”
A former employee of former MP Paula Sharif, who found a swastika on her doorstep, said the police mocked a letter the perpetrator had left as a threat.
"At the moment, we mourn our beloved friend David Amis, but it is clear that the various police agencies are taking an inconsistent approach to dealing with threats to MPs, and this must change," Sharif said.
Several MPs said that threats to their employees were often as serious as they themselves face.
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