'I got death and rape threats in the Commons': Ex-Labour MP says police do not take politicians' safety seriously
A former MP says threats aimed at politicians should come with harsher sentences and has called on police to take the safety of politicians “more seriously.”
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After the death of Ann Widdecombe in July, the former Labour MP for Dewsbury, Paula Sherriff, has spoken exclusively to LBC to demand better protection.
Ms Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was hit in the head 21 times with a hammer in her Devon home.
Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, was charged with Widdecombe's murder. He has not yet entered a plea.
The attack came just weeks after the 10th anniversary of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed by a far-right extremist in her Batley and Spen constituency ahead of the Brexit referendum in 2016.
Paula, who was Mrs Cox's constituency neighbour, recalled the threats she faced during her five years as an MP.
“The first time, I was sitting in the House of Commons, and I got a Facebook message, someone saying they wanted to rape and kill me," Paula said.
“I showed it to one of my colleagues. I didn’t know what to do; I was a new MP, and I didn’t know if this was the norm".
From that first instance, Paula says concerns were not handled properly.
“We asked for CCTV at the constituency office in Dewsbury town centre.” She explains. “It was declined because we were told we didn’t meet the threshold.
“That was the same day that Jo Cox was murdered up the road.”
Paula says the divisiveness around the Brexit vote, and subsequently the UK leaving the EU, led to a rise in abuse.
“It was like a flood of abuse, virtually from the day we left the EU. It was from both sides, but more so the Leavers, if I’m honest.
“The threats were thick and fast.”
Paula describes constant abuse on social media from one constituent, swastikas left outside her office by another.
But the former MP says the police response was not good enough.
“West Yorkshire Police just didn’t treat it with any seriousness. On the man leaving the swastikas, they arrested an elderly gentleman who admitted it.
“But then no further action was taken because the police said he was ‘having trouble sleeping.’” Paula explains.
Despite Paula not being an MP for almost seven years after her defeat in the General Election in 2019, she still faces threats.
Last June, a user took to X to say she needed a “9mm bullet in her head.” Again, Paula says she felt let down by police.
“The last thing I heard on this from police was November 2025.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police told LBC: "Officers spoke with the victim, recorded a crime of malicious communications and gathered available evidence.
“The suspect was not known to the victim and enquires were conducted to see if they could be identified.
“Unfortunately, these enquiries did not identify the person responsible. We are now making enquiries into what attempts were made to update the victim and will also be contacting her to discuss the matter, and her concerns more fully.”
In response, Paula said: “What has to happen for police to do something? Does it have to be another death? It just shows West Yorkshire Police haven’t changed."
Paula is now calling for a ’seven-point plan’ with LBC to improve the safety of those in Parliament and those who have left the corridors of power.
These include:
- Stricter sentences for those who carry out attacks against politicians
- Banning of anonymous accounts on social media
- Harsher sanctions on social media companies who fail to act on threats to politicians
- Education on the threats MPs face
- More introspection on the language used by politicians
- More consistent police action on threats
- Restorative justice for those found to have abused politicians.
Paula told LBC: “We also need the police to listen to people who have been subject to these threats, so they understand what it’s like.
“We could also look at some kind of restorative justice. Get these perpetrators in a room with their wives, their children and make them read out the abuse they’ve directed at politicians in front of them.
These are sentiments echoed by Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, who became the MP for Batley and Spen after her death.
Following the death of Ann Widdecombe, Ms Leadbeater told LBC: “I’ve been having the same conversation for 10 years. We do have to think about the safety of people in public life.
"We have to look at the culture we have around public discourse. If we get people stoking division and anger, it only takes one individual to turn those words into violence.”
Operation Bridger is currently in place for MPs, which was strengthened following the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.
MPs have a named police contact for security c. Additional measures are put in place if there’s a credible threat and intelligence is meant to be shared.
A spokesperson for the Home Office told LBC: “We have made it clear that intimidation and abuse of those participating in public life has no place in our society and will not be tolerated.
“Alongside the police, we work closely with the Parliamentary Security Department to provide support to MPs. The Home Secretary is also looking at what security guidance can be provided to former MPs and has commissioned a review of lessons from Sir David Amess’ murder to identify improvements.”
In the social media age, abuse aimed at MPs is all too commonplace. Ann Widdecombe was the third British politician in the last 10 years to be killed.
Exasperated politicians want action to prevent another similar tragedy.