10 February 2022 | OPINION
Both Labour and Conservative MPs are equally to blame for inciting abuse against one another, as well as falling victim to it.
On Monday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy were accosted by an intimidating force of protestors. They were escorted by police officers before being ushered into a squad car and making a hasty exit.
Abuse was directed towards them over Covid vaccines and, chiefly – and most controversially – accusations aimed at Starmer over allegedly failing to prosecute prolific child sex abuser Jimmy Savile when he was Director of Public Prosecutions at the CPS. This came after the Prime Minister made the same allegation in the House of Commons last week, resulting in criticism from both Labour opposition and even his own Conservative MPs. But whilst it would be unfair to suggest Johnson was directly responsible for the mob that approached the two Labour MPs, his comments certainly worsened the incident.
The footage of Starmer and Lammy having to be escorted by police away from a mob of intimidating protestors is frightening. It is horrific that in a democracy, politicians are confronted by members of the public with divisive chants of “traitor” and accusations of “protecting paedophiles”, warranting police intervention. Particularly, given that only a few months ago a Conservative MP was murdered, this is a particularly concerning incident. Only several years before, a Labour MP met the same tragic and appalling fate.
Whilst arguments over whether or not the allegation is true of the Labour leader, including demands from many for the Prime Minister to withdraw the comments, what is fair to say is that these comments contributed to the incident on Monday. Johnson’s words, in part, are responsible for inflaming the reception met by Starmer. And the fact that only months ago a politician was stabbed to death at his constituency surgery, the incident is cause for serious concern. Such occurrences are a fright for democracy, and no politician, regardless of political party or views, should be subject to such disgraceful acts of intimidation or, in the worst cases, violence or death. It is shocking that any Member of Parliament should endure such treatment; and it is only right that all sides of the House, and the public, come together to denounce such condemnable behaviour.
This incident, and the killings of Labour MP Jo Cox and, recently, Conservative MP David Amess, are chilling examples of the lengths that some members of the public will go to, to frighten democratically-elected politicians. What is even more chilling is that an issue of partisanship does, both irresponsibly and tragically, arise.
There should be no doubt that the accosting of Starmer and Lammy is disgraceful and concerning for MPs, and the political landscape more widely. But it must be recognised that politicians on both sides of the House are equally guilty of inciting such acts and causing potential threats of violence, just as they are equally victims of them.
Only some time before the murder of David Amess last year, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner found herself on the receiving end of widespread criticism for accusing Conservatives of being “scum” at her party’s conference. Though divisive and distasteful, and frankly unbecoming of an elected politician, her accusation is open to subjective interpretation. After eventually claiming that the comment was aimed directly at the Prime Minister and no one else, members of the public, in addition to Conservative Members of Parliament, took personal offence to the insult – and understandably so.
Had a senior Tory politician made the same remark against Sir Keir Starmer, Labour voters and MPs alike would have taken personal offence too – again, understandably so. The result of Rayner’s comment was subsequent accusations of inciting hatred towards Conservative MPs and voters, arguably a fair response. Indeed, it was only sometime after that Amess was murdered. Additionally, in the lead up to the last election, the Prime Minister himself was accused of similar acts having used divisive language, such as “traitors”, “betrayals” and “surrenderers” to criticise pro-EU Members in the Commons.
It is imperative to recognise that language – particularly in the circumstance of political rhetoric – can be dangerous. It is what some argue incited staunch Trump supporters in the US to storm the Capitol building, the result of which was a direct infringement of democracy after his unsubstantiated claims of Democrat election-rigging, in addition to vowing to “fight” the result of the election.
John McDonnell, Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Chancellor, has also used hateful and divisive, politically-motivated language of equal concern. In 2010, he “joked” that he would have liked to have gone back in time to assassinate Margaret Thatcher, a former Conservative Prime Minister. If such a “joke” was aimed at either Johnson or Starmer by the other, it would certainly not go down as such – and it shouldn’t. In 2012, even more frighteningly, McDonnell said: “I want to be in a situation where no Tory MP, no Coalition Minister, can travel anywhere in the country, or show their face anywhere in public, without being challenged, without direct action.”
Arguably the worst and most recent example of a politician making threats of violence is former Labour MP Claudia Webbe. Whilst is must be understood that her comments were not politically-motivated or aimed at any politician, she was convicted after having threatened to throw battery acid in the face of a woman she saw as a love rival, a friend to her romantic partner. Consequently, she had the party whip removed and now sits as an Independent. It is truly concerning that the people elected to represent the public would display such alarming behaviour as this. Opposition MPs would be baying for blood if this had been a Conservative politician, and rightly so.
There seemed to be little outcry when Nigel Farage was assaulted with a milkshake some years ago. Remarkably, there was little concern for Michael Gove who, like Starmer and Lammy, had to be escorted by police to safety after being swarmed by anti-vaccine protestors just after Amess’ murder. Jacob Rees-Mogg’s London home has also been previously targeted and his children harangued, told of the voters’ “hate” for their father by members of the public just a few years ago.
Both sides of the House are evidently responsible for using divisive, politically-motivated language against opponents. Both sides are equally guilty for inciting violence and stoking division against one another, which is why it would be wholly hypocritical for Labour MPs to condemn the Prime Minister for his words last week or demand that he retracts his accusation, whilst refusing to acknowledge being complicit in contributing to the abuse received by politicians of all parties. To not acknowledge this would be to cause further division within the House and the political landscape more widely.
The issue of violence and abuse towards MPs is not a partisan issue, which is why it would be devoid of responsibility and simply wrong to suggest that it is only Conservatives causing or contributing to scenes such as that on Monday. Politicians of all parties are equally responsible for provoking incidents of abuse towards one another, as well as falling victim to them.
nice mate