Women’s minister Victoria Atkins says she has been forced off Twitter because she was ‘fed up’ of ‘death threats and the nastiness’
On the 100th anniversary of women getting their voice in politics a prominent female politician says she has lost hers on social media due to online abuse
THE WOMEN’S minister has revealed she has been forced off Twitter because she was “fed up” of “death threats and the nastiness”.
On the 100th anniversary of women getting their voice in politics the prominent female politician Victoria Atkins says she has lost hers on social media due to online abuse.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live she said: “I’ve come off Twitter because I was so fed up of it. I was fed up with the death threats and the nastiness, from people who often live many many miles away from my constituency.
“I think, sadly, we shouldn’t also speak about this without talking about the experience of Jo Cox.
“Sadly the murder of Jo [in 2016] shows what can happen in single incidents – it shows just how frightening it can be, in very very individual and specific circumstances.
“I for one, I hasten to add, don’t for a moment put myself in that category. I just got fed up with the abuse.”
Ms Atkins, who is also a minister in the Home Office, was speaking to Emma Barnett on the centenary of votes for women, and the day Theresa May announces proposed new laws to stop people being intimidated in public life.
But Labour’s Diane Abbott, who received masses of personal abuse online during the election campaign, said “laws just for politicians are not the answer”.
The Shadow Home Secretary said instead the Prime Minister should focus on cracking down on social media firms who facilitate the comments.
“But it’s everyone who needs that protection, not just MPs.”
However her opposite number Amber Rudd told the Commons her Labour MP colleagues have spoken to her about abuse they have received from Corbynista campaign group Momentum.
The Home Secretary called for action to "stop the level of hate that comes at women", as she, announced the opening of a "large grant scheme" to allow local community groups to bid for suffrage projects worth up to £125,000.
It is part of a £5million fund to celebrate the milestone.