MP Tim Farron says social media may cause more MP threats after £31 million security plans announced

ITV Granada Reports political correspondent Andrew Misra reports

MP Tim Farron says social media could be why politicians receive more threats from the public, after the announcement of a £31 million package which aims to strengthen security for MPs.

The new policy will be spent on creating points of contact for elected members to raise their concerns, police protection, patrols and the capacity for private security measures.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale said: "It feels like it's got worse over the last couple of decades, it might just be that 20 years ago social media wasn't such a thing.

"I remember being sat down in members lobby a few years ago by a member of the Metropolitan Police and being told there had been a credible death threat against me, and how does it affect you?

"Well you first think about your family and what if something happened to me, what would it mean for them?"

The changes by the Home Office follow the rising numbers of threats to elected members which has spiked since the conflict in Gaza and Israel.

Professor Jon Tonge, political lecturer University of Liverpool, said:"Part of the problem is the radicalisation of some individuals because of the conflict in Gaza.

"We won't be able to enjoy the easy access to our Members of Parliament that we've enjoyed in the past. A constituency surgery might look more like a constituency fortress in years to come.

Dame Louise Ellman, former Liverpool MP, was subject to threats after voicing concerns about leader Jeremy Corbyn's handling of antisemitism within the party before resigning in 2019.

She said: "I had extra security when I was an MP because I had spoken out against antisemitism, but now the situation is very much worse, and these measures are absolutely essential."

Two serving MPs have been murdered in the past eight years, Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 and Conservative's David Amess in 2021.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons and Chorley MP has worked to improve security since then.

He said: "I was in the chair on that day... I never ever want to go through a situation where I pick up a phone to find a friend from whatever side has been murdered by a terrorist."

Have you heard our new podcast Talking Politics? Every week Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…