MPs condemn ‘vile’ abuse of Theresa May

• Posted on October 22, 2018
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

Politicians have condemned “vile” and “violent” language used against Theresa May over her Brexit negotiations.

In an article in the Sunday Times, a Tory backbencher was quoted as saying: “The moment is coming when the knife gets heated, stuck in her front and twisted. She’ll be dead soon.”

The PM was also told to “bring her own noose” to a meeting later this week.

One MP asked: “Have they learned nothing following the assassination of Jo Cox?”

Labour MP Mrs Cox was murdered in her West Yorkshire constituency by right-wing extremist Thomas Mair, a week before the Brexit referendum in June 2016.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Personal vitriol has no place in our politics.”

Mrs May is expected to tell Parliament on Monday that the withdrawal deal with the EU is 95% complete and that “important progress has been made” – but the Irish border remains a sticking point in negotiations.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Commons Home Affairs committee, said the unnamed backbencher who made the comments should be publicly named to stop them from doing it again.

“This is vile and dehumanising language towards a woman MP, towards a prime minister who, no matter how much you might disagree with her, is someone who is doing a job in public life,” she said.

“Nobody should be subject to that kind of violent language, which I think is normalising violence in public debate at a time when we lost Jo Cox, we have had threats against Rosie Cooper, we have had other violent death threats against women MPs.”

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, also condemned the use of language:

This morning I’ve seen quotes from Tories to the effect that PM is ‘entering the killing zone’, faces ‘assassination’ and should take ‘her own noose’ to a meeting. Few disagree with her more than I do, but language like this debases politics. Get a grip, Tories.

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) October 21, 2018

And some Conservative MPs echoed the criticism.

Nicky Morgan tweeted that it is “not healthy politics” to use such language, while Scottish Conservative Paul Masterton said the “snivelling cowards” who made the comments should be reported to the police.

Sarah Wollaston also called them “spineless cowards” and raised the death of Mrs Cox.