Protests outside politicians’ homes are ‘terrifying’, outgoing Tory MP tells LBC, after Starmer's house targeted

10 April 2024, 21:20 | Updated: 10 April 2024, 21:22

A Conservative former minister who is standing down at the next election has told LBC the abuse MPs face now is "terrifying".

Robert Halfon announced last month he was resigning after 14 years, saying "political life, while fulfilling, has its ups and downs".

For the first time since that announcement, the MP for Harlow has spoken exclusively to LBC about people targeting politicians' homes.

"Don't forget, MPs aren't often [at home] because they're campaigning or in Parliament, so what you've got is family members and there is often children, for me it's terrifying," he told LBC.

"It's got to stop. I hope they bring in some really tough laws but the police have got to act quickly as well."

It comes after protesters staged a demonstration outside the home of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over the party's stance on arms sales to Israel.

In the video shared to Twitter, protesters from the group Youth Demand can be seen putting up a banner which reads 'Starmer stop the killing' on a hedge outside his house.

The group can also be seen placing children's shoes on the garden path leading to the politician's front door," the group shared on X.

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"Whilst 12,000 children in Gaza are slaughtered, @UKLabour continue to allow the selling of arms to Israel."We are calling on their humanity. We won't stand for this."

On Monday, the group said 11 people were arrested after the Labour Party HQ was sprayed with red paint.The group claims the party has "blood on its hands".

Youth Demand stage protest outside Keir Starmer's home

"They are complicit in the murder of Palestinians, and millions of people around the world, as they continue to drive genocide" they said on Twitter.

Speaking exclusively to LBC after announcing he is stepping down at the next election after 14 years, the former education minister Mr Halfon said he was emotional to be stepping down.

“After well over two decades as the Harlow Parliamentary Candidate and as MP, I feel that it is time for me to step down at the forthcoming General Election, and in doing so, to resign as a Minister in your Government," he said last month.

“I would like to thank the Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, who is a true believer and trailblazer in apprenticeships and boosting skills education, and especially to my private office team and the outstanding officials in the skills, apprenticeships and higher education teams at the DfE, for their tireless work to deliver a skills and apprenticeships nation”.