A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of sending threatening communications to a Member of Parliament over a social media post that threatened to shoot Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
The suspect was taken into custody on Tuesday after an X post from May, during the local election period, stated: 'I am going to shoot you in the head if you win', according to The Telegraph.
Mr Farage formally resigned as MP for Clacton last week, but was still an MP when the alleged offence occurred.
Metropolitan Police statement
The Metropolitan Police did not name Mr Farage, but confirmed in a statement: 'On Tuesday, July 14 a man in his 20s was arrested by Met officers on suspicion of sending threatening communications to a Member of Parliament.'
'The arrest relates to a social media post from earlier this year, which was reported to police on Friday, May 8. After receiving the report, detectives submitted an application to a social media platform to gain access to the user’s contact information.'
'After the relevant information was returned to detectives the man was arrested, with support from local Met officers, at a residential address in south London. After being held in police custody overnight, he has since been bailed pending further enquiries.'
Context of threats
Nigel Farage has previously stated that he receives dozens of death threats every week. The arrest highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of politicians and the impact of online hate speech.
The investigation continues, with the suspect bailed while police gather further evidence.
