Kemi Badenoch has revealed that an ex-IRA member has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill her. The Conservative leader said a string of threatening messages were sent to her and her family.
Threats to politicians increasing
Badenoch was speaking after the suspect in the murder of MP Ann Widdecombe was charged with planning terrorist acts against Nigel Farage. She told the BBC: 'He was sending messages not just to be but also my family members.'
'I just think that whether it's me or Nigel Farage or even Keir Starmer who had his home fire bombed that there is a threat to politicians that is increasing. We just need to crack down on this.'
Public safety priority
'What I want the public to know is that my priority is their safety. MPs have often been threatened in this way but we must not let that stop us from doing their jobs.'
'It's really tough but you just have to get on with it. Every person who sends an abusive message – they think they're just getting something off their chest. But the cumulative impact puts a lot of people off politics. I'm not going to be put off.'
