Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has stated she is considering her future in the Labour Party due to what she describes as 'obsessive harassment' from current and former party members. In a series of tweets, she claimed that 'personal, libellous, nasty' things had been published about her, adding that she has been subjected to this for years with no help from the party.
The Labour Party, however, said it had offered 'advice and support' to the MP. Ms Duffield's comments followed claims made about her in an article written by an anonymous Labour Party member. She tweeted that she was aware of 'yet more personal, libellous, nasty and fictional crap' being published about her, all written by ex and current Labour members who are 'clearly absolutely obsessed by my private life'.
This is not the first time Ms Duffield has raised concerns about her safety within the party. In September last year, she said she would not attend the Labour Party conference after online threats to her safety following a row over transgender rights. Ms Duffield has argued for protected spaces for those born female, such as domestic violence refuges and prisons, and opposes self-identification for transgender people to access those spaces.
However, Ms Duffield stressed that the latest issue 'no way relates to my stance on women's rights'. She called for support from Labour in Kent against 'the constant stream of fictional and factional bile' written about her. A Labour spokesperson reiterated that the party continues to be in touch with Ms Duffield and has offered her advice and support.
