Tory candidate jailed for violent threats against West Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper

A Conservative Party activist who said he wanted to get a West Yorkshire MP 'beaten up' because of her stance on Brexit, has been jailed.

In April 2019, James Spencer made abusive and threatening comments about the Pontefract, Normanton and Castleford MP Yvette Cooper on Facebook.

He sent a Facebook message to a third party relating to Yvette Cooper MP, stating: "I’m already organising her to her hurt. Amazing what crack heads will do for £100. I’m gonna get her beat up”

The former Tory council candidate pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to nine weeks' in prison.

He has also been handed a 10-year restraining order at Leeds Magistrates' Court.

The 25-year-old, a constituent of Cooper’s, was arrested in April 2019 and stood for the Conservatives just a month later in May’s local elections.

The Conservative Party was informed about the case at the beginning of May 2019.

Later in May 2019, during the police investigation of this case, Mr Spencer said publicly that he was responsible for organising a demonstration outside Yvette Cooper’s constituency office in Castleford.

At that demonstration it was reported that someone had called for her to be “burnt” and incidents were reported to the police.

Yvette Cooper has written to the Chairman of the Conservative Party to ask what action they are now taking over Joshua Spencer, what action they took while the police investigation was underway or after he was charged.

Commenting on the sentencing of Joshua Spencer at Leeds Magistrates Court, Yvette Cooper MP said:

Julian Briggs from the CPS said: