"Vast Majority" Of The Worst Abuse MPs Face Is Not Made Public

MPs have warned that the amount of abuse they face that is made public is only the tip of the iceberg, with many choosing not to speak out on the issue for fear of further compromising their security.

Following Mike Freer's decision to step down as a Conservative MP at the next election, Lord John Mann, the government's independent adviser on antisemitism, told PoliticsHome that many more political figures are facing similar and worse behind the scenes.

Freer, whose Finchley and Golders Green seat is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the UK, cited having received death threats as a key reason for stepping down. "Since my election as MP in 2010 I have sadly had several serious threats to my personal safety," Freer said in his resignation letter to the Prime Minister. "The attacks by Muslims Against Crusades, Ali Harbi Ali and the recent arson attack (where the motives remain unclear) have weighed heavily on me and my husband, Angelo."

A man has since been arrested over a "threatening" call to Freer on the day he spoke publicly about the abuse. In December, his office was firebombed around the time that MPs in Westminster had expressed concerns about their offices being targeted for taking positions on the war between Israel and Hamas. A man and woman have been remanded in custody following a separate investigation relating to this incident. 

Threats against MPs have become a particularly urgent issue in recent years following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and the murder of Conservative MP David Amess in 2021 by an Islamic extremist. In November, House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs they would have a greater freedom to claim for taxis in their expenses due to