The tirade of abuse faced by female MPs

Has the tide of online vilification aimed at female MPs now reached the point where it is putting women off entering the world of politics? Chris Bond reports.
Baroness McIntosh believes the abuse aimed at politicians has worsened in the last couple of years. (PA).Baroness McIntosh believes the abuse aimed at politicians has worsened in the last couple of years. (PA).
Baroness McIntosh believes the abuse aimed at politicians has worsened in the last couple of years. (PA).

It was supposed to usher in the start of a new era. Following the 2015 General Election much was made of the fact that after years of under representation nearly a third of all MPs were now women – more than ever before.

But while back in 1997 when we had the so-called “Blair babes”, as the 101 women Labour MPs were so patronisingly dubbed, this time round there was a noticeable absence of such sexist language.

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What was equally heartening was that so many of these new MPs came from such varied backgrounds. Labour’s Bradford West MP Naz Shah was a mental health campaigner, while Paula Sherriff, Labour’s Dewsbury MP, spent nearly a decade working for the Police Service before switching to the NHS, and Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns, who ousted Ed Balls in Morley and Outwood, is a former music teacher and amateur opera singer.

Shadow Health Secretary Diane Abbott fears women will be put off entering politics because of the level of abuse. (PA)Shadow Health Secretary Diane Abbott fears women will be put off entering politics because of the level of abuse. (PA)
Shadow Health Secretary Diane Abbott fears women will be put off entering politics because of the level of abuse. (PA)

Such diversity has to be good for Parliament, making it more reflective of the people it represents and at the same time diluting the old Etonian and Oxbridge influence.

But rather than being more open and engaged political debate has become angrier and more polarised, reaching a chilling peak in June last year with the murder of Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox.

This highlighted the scale of the hatred and vitriol being directed towards politicians – people who are trying to serve their community as best they can. This abuse is aimed at both male and female MPs but it’s often women who bear the brunt of it.

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Durham’s Labour MP Pat Glass announced last year that she wouldn’t be standing again after receiving death threats following a “bruising” EU campaign and there are now genuine fears that we risk seeing bright, talented women turning their backs on a career in politics.

Labour's Bradford West MP Naz Shah says the online abuse of MPs has become 'normal'.Labour's Bradford West MP Naz Shah says the online abuse of MPs has become 'normal'.
Labour's Bradford West MP Naz Shah says the online abuse of MPs has become 'normal'.

Writing in the Guardian last week, the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said she receives racist and sexist abuse on a daily basis and warned that women might be deterred from entering politics because of abuse suffered by female MPs.

She reiterated these concerns at the weekend in an interview with Sophy Ridge on Sky News, claiming that social media abuse had become “turbo-charged”.

Ms Abbott believes that social media sites should do more to shut down people sending racist and sexist abuse and said there may be a case for a parliamentary inquiry to see what more could be done to ensure that internet providers take action.

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She made the remarks after speaking about the racist and sexist abuse she, and other politicians, have received online. “There are so many more of these people out there and what they’re doing is poisoning the political debate and they’re putting people off, particularly young women, from even getting involved in the political debate online and they must be putting off some women from getting involved in politics.”

Shadow Health Secretary Diane Abbott fears women will be put off entering politics because of the level of abuse. (PA)Shadow Health Secretary Diane Abbott fears women will be put off entering politics because of the level of abuse. (PA)
Shadow Health Secretary Diane Abbott fears women will be put off entering politics because of the level of abuse. (PA)

The Labour frontbencher said the online realm had given people a platform that didn’t previously exist. She pointed out, too, that the scale of abuse has changed during the 30 years since she first joined the House of Commons.

“When I was a new MP if you wanted to send racist abuse you wrote a letter, in green ink usually, and you got maybe one or two of those letters a week. Now you can press a button and threaten to rape somebody.”

Naz Shah says she understands Abbott’s concerns. “I absolutely agree. There are lots of women Parliamentarians who had they known they would face this sort of abuse might have been put off,” she says.

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Not that she regrets entering the political fray. “My message to those people who might be put off is it’s even more reason to come into politics. We need more women in politics to challenge this.”

Labour's Bradford West MP Naz Shah says the online abuse of MPs has become 'normal'.Labour's Bradford West MP Naz Shah says the online abuse of MPs has become 'normal'.
Labour's Bradford West MP Naz Shah says the online abuse of MPs has become 'normal'.

Ms Shah joined the Commons after winning the Bradford West seat in the 2015 General Election following what was, at times, a bitter campaign against George Galloway. But she says it toughened her up. “It was a very toxic campaign but it stood me in good stead, it made more thick skinned.”

Since becoming an MP, Ms Shah says she has been sent abusive messages including rape threats. “The worst I’ve had is someone who said ‘I hope you watch your children die tonight,’ and someone else said ‘be careful or you will be like Jo Cox.’”

Ms Shah reported both incidents to the police but the fact that such vile threats and messages are even being made in the first place is deeply worrying. What is particularly troubling is not only that this kind of abuse appears to be on the rise but that it’s becoming the norm. “It’s a travesty but it’s what you come to expect. It’s normal,” she says.

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“People come into politics because they care and because they want to make a difference. It should be a career option for women and you should be able to do your job free from abuse.”

Several female MPs have warned about an increase in the abuse they have received. Paula Sherriff spoke out bravely last year concerning the threats she faced and how her mother requested she doesn’t cause controversy and how she no longer uses social media to publicise visits in advance. Then in December a man was jailed after being convicted of the racially aggravated harassment of Labour MP Luciana Berger.

Baroness Anne McIntosh of Pickering, the former MP for Thirsk and Malton, believes the political atmosphere has darkened considerably during the past couple of years. “I was lucky that I only had a couple of bad experiences but the situation appears to have changed in the 18 months since I ceased being a sitting MP,” she says.

“It’s increased since Brexit. People seem to feel they can say anything. There are some individuals who will say something online to a woman that they wouldn’t say to their face and it is cause for alarm.”

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The Tory peer echoes the concerns of fellow female politicians. “I can understand what Diane Abbott is saying, there will be lots of partners and husbands of people thinking about entering politics asking do they really want to expose themselves and their families to this level of abuse and potential risk?

“I held walk-in surgeries in McDonald’s at Clifton Moor in York but I wouldn’t dream of doing that now. I went from having open surgeries to them being appointment-only and only disclosing the location to those I knew were coming.”

Baroness McIntosh wants to see more done to tackle the whole issue before it deteriorates any further. “We need to be more vigilant and we need to look at ways of better controlling social media. People can’t just say whatever they like and make threats.

“It might be the case that the police have to become more involved, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”