'I'm not going to let anyone intimidate me,' Birmingham MP defiant after receiving death threat

• 'When someone decides to email you and write some very specific things down, which is a real clear threat to life...you have to take that very very seriously,' Preet Kaur Gill MP tells ITV News Central report Callum Watkinson

A Birmingham MP says an email she received earlier this year contained a real threat to life.

The MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Preet Kaur Gill, has spoken out after receiving an email telling her to "watch her back" and prompting her to increase security at her constituency surgery meetings. Ms Gill said the email came from a professional email address and the matter has been reported to the police.

In an interview with ITV News Central, she said: "It's a real sad state of affairs that many MPs face horrific abuse online and I think we've almost normalised it, which is not the right thing to do, because a lot of that violates rules around hate crime.

"But when someone decides to email you and write some very specific things down, which is a real clear threat to life, and they put their work email, and they're not afraid to say who they are, then you have to take that very very seriously."

• 'Of course I will take risks, but it really shouldn't be like that,' the MP for Birmingham Edgbaston calls for change as she reveals she received a threat to her life

Speaking to ITV News Central reporter Callum Watkinson, Ms Gill spoke of her concern while carrying out her duties as an MP: "I walk around in my constituency, I'm there all the time, how often do you have to keep looking behind your shoulder knowing that you have had previous threats before?"

The Labour MP also expressed her dismay at the worry her family feel because of the threats, she told us: "My mum was saying to me 'Oh my God, I don't want you to do this job because it really worries me.' And I say to her 'No, because you can't let these people win.'

She added: "Of course I will take risks, but it really shouldn't be like that."

• 'I'm not going to let anyone intimidate me,' Preet Kaur Gill MP remains defiant

Reflecting on how tough life is for a Member of Parliament, our reporter Callum Watkinson asked: "Do you ever feel 'I don't need this in my life, I'm going to go do something else,' do you ever get that thought?"

Ms Gill remained defiant: "No. It's an absolute proud moment to have become the first Sikh female MP and I'm not going to let anyone intimidate me, harass me, or feel that they're going to prevent me from doing this job."

West Midlands Police told ITV News Central that it's working to understand where the email came from: "We were made aware of an email that was received by the complainant in January 2023. As the member of parliament's constituency is in the West Midlands, we were made aware of an email which had caused them alarm and distress."We are working closely with the reporting police service to understand where the email was generated from and to understand if the content was of a threatening or malicious nature."We will continue to liaise with the complainant."

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