Mitie, the security company contracted to provide bodyguards for MPs, has tightened its vetting procedures after it assigned a close protection officer with far-right links to a politician under threat from extremists. The company, which holds a £31 million contract for the role, is now updating its vetting processes to include regular social media checks for new recruits, as well as random checks on existing staff.
Concerns over threats to MPs from Islamists and far-right extremists have escalated, with elected representatives facing a level of danger not seen since the Irish republican terrorist campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s. Harassment and crimes against MPs have reached record levels, nearly doubling to 1,000 cases annually as of March, according to the latest figures.
In a statement to the Guardian, a Mitie spokesperson said: 'Our priority is the safety of the people under our protection, and we hold our close protection officers to the highest standards. If those standards are not upheld, we take appropriate action as soon as practicable.' All close protection officers hold Security Industry Authority licences, the mandatory legal requirement for such roles.
Last month, a minister told parliament that threats against female MPs were having a 'chilling effect' on women considering a political career. This week, a 42-year-old man from Blackpool received a 12-month restraining order and a £120 fine for disrupting a jobs fair organised by Chris Webb, the Blackpool South MP. Webb said the case was not isolated, adding: 'This escalation is not simply about the safety of MPs – it represents a serious and growing threat to the health of our democracy.'
Security minister Dan Jarvis, who chairs the Defending Democracy taskforce, described the threat level as 'unprecedented', citing 'assaults, vandalism, stalking, blockading and a blizzard of online abuse' that also affects MPs' families. He noted that women and ethnic minority representatives receive the highest volumes of abuse, including sexualised and racially charged threats.
