MPs to get taxpayer-funded bodyguards as they face threat of extremist attacks
MPs facing threats are set to get extra security as part of a multi-million pound package, the Home Office has announced.
The £31million fund will see MPs being provided with a dedicated police contact with speak to over safety issues while some could recieve bodyguards. Home Secretary James Cleverly will meet with police chiefs on Wednesday to discuss what more can be done to improve the safety of MPs. He said no MP should have to accept that threats or harassment is "part of the job".
It follows reports that three female MPs have already been given bodyguards and chauffeur-driven cars after a security assessment. There have also been fears about MPs being targeted since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war. Tory MP Tobias Ellwood's home was targeted earlier this month by pro-Palestine protesters, with the police warning his family to "stay away" from the property as "arriving through that crowd would've antagonised the situation".
A source told The Mirror at the weekend members face a "wide variation of threats" from the far-right to pro-Palestine activists. They said although tensions around the Middle East crisis have put security in sharp focus, it's been a problem for a long time.
The Home Office will be used to enhance police capabilities, increase private sector security provisions for those facing a higher risk and to expand cyber security advice to locally elected representatives. It will also ensure all elected representatives and candidates have a dedicated named police contact to liaise with on security matters, officials said.
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Mr Cleverly's department said the measures would significantly expand the support provided under current policing arrangements for politicians. The Home Secretary will hold a roundtable with the National Police Chiefs' Council on Wednesday to discuss efforts to "protect democratic processes from intimidation, disruption or subversion", his aides said.
Announcing the new funding, Mr Cleverly said: "The Government will take every possible step to safeguard the people, processes and institutions upon which our democracy relies. I take the safety and security of all members of the House with the utmost seriousness. None of us should have to accept that enduring hate crimes, harassment, or threats is part of the job. I will continue to work closely with my police counterparts to provide elected representatives with the support they need."
The announcement includes the establishment of a communities fund to support the deployment of additional police patrols each week in England and Wales to help deal with "increased community tensions", the Home Office said. It is designed to increase support available to vulnerable communities, increase police visibility and boost public confidence, the department added.
Two serving MPs - Labour's Jo Cox and Conservative Sir David Amess - have been murdered in the past eight years, with reforms to the security of parliamentarians having been introduced as a result of those killings. Changes have included improvements to existing security measures at MPs' homes and offices, and the bringing in additional private sector-delivered protective security where necessary.
On Tuesday, Mr Sunak rejected a suggestion that MPs should be able to speak and vote from their constituencies because of concerns about security at Westminster. Downing Street said the PM believed it was "really important that we maintain Parliament as a place for free debate and expression of views".
Veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman had suggested a return to Covid-era remote working could be needed to ensure the protection of politicians in the face of threats and intimidation. The comments by the Mother of the House, the longest-serving female MP, came after the chaotic scenes in Westminster last week over the vote on a ceasefire in Gaza.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle broke with precedent over the selection of a Labour amendment to an SNP motion because he had concerns about the intimidation suffered by some parliamentarians but the backlash to his actions has left his own position in jeopardy. Ms Harman suggested a return to a "hybrid" model of working could be examined by a Speaker's Conference to help maintain MPs' safety.
But a No 10 spokeswoman said the Prime Minister would resist any change that could "stifle" the role of Parliament.The spokeswoman said Mr Sunak acknowledged the threats faced by MPs. "Some of the behaviour and the intimidation has been completely unacceptable," she told reporters. "I don't think anyone listening to MPs talking about their experiences in the house could fail to be moved by that. He's incredibly aware of that."
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