Politicians rally round MP who faced online abuse after criticising men's rights debate request

Politicians from across the party divide have rallied around the Labour MP who found herself the subject of online abuse after objecting to demands for a debate on men's rights.

Supporters and politicians from across party lines tweeted their support for Jess Phillips, who found herself subjected to rape threats after scoffing at a call for men's issues be debated in parliament on International Men's Day.

Many used the hashtag #IStandWithJessPhillips.

Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell called the remarks "disgusting", as did Conservative Gavin Barwell.

Ms Phillips, speaking on BBC Two's Newsnight programme, said the abuse she had received would not stop her speaking out.

"Perhaps I wouldn't be so flippant, and I will protect myself in future, but I will not stop speaking up though against people who, frankly, use equality as a tool for their own ridiculous agenda," she said.

The abuse erupted after the MP for Birmingham Yardley told Conservative Phillip Davies that she felt as though "every day" was International Men's Day when he asked the backbench business committee to allocate time to a discussion about the event.

"I suffered a huge torrent of very noisy abuse from men's rights activists, which very unfortunately, led to a very dark bit of the internet calling for me to be raped, bound and raped publicly," she told the BBC.

The exchange with Mr Davies occurred earlier in the week, but support for Ms Phillips grew after she publicised some of the threats she had been receiving.

International Men’s Day will be held on 19 November this year.