Former shadow minister to quit Parliament after `divisive` referendum and death threats
An MP who was advised by police not to attend an EU referendum count after receiving death threats is quitting her Westminster seat over safety fears.
Jun 29, 2016
By Nick Hudson
An MP who was advised by police not to attend an EU referendum count after receiving death threats is quitting her Westminster seat over safety fears.
Pro-Remain supporter Pat Glass has announced she is stepping down at the next general election after the “divisive and bruising” In/Out campaign took a heavy personal toll on the former Shadow Education Secretary.
The North West Durham MP revealed how she deliberately stayed away from her referendum count after four threats were made against her to Durham Constabulary.
Mrs Glass did not see the death threats but they were taken seriously enough by the police for her to be warned. A malicious email was also sent to a member of her family, she said.
In her announcement she told her constituency chairman, Fraser Tinsley, that she was serving notice on her own party membership that she would not be the Labour candidate in any forthcoming election.
She wrote: “Given that the election could come as soon as October 2016 I want to give the CLP (Constituency Labour Party) as much time as possible to get a new candidate in place to fight the election.
“The referendum has been incredibly divisive, it divided families and communities and I have found it bruising in many respects.
“It has had an impact on both me and my family as I am sure it has had on many others.
The MP suffered a furious backlash during the campaign after describing a voter as a “horrible racist” on radio. She later apologised and admitted her comments were “inappropriate”.
Mrs Glass said that under normal circumstances she would have ignored anonymous threats as the work of “keyboard warriors” but following the murder of her parliamentary colleague Jo Cox who was shot, stabbed and killed near her constituency advice surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire earlier this month she took them seriously.
Mrs Glass said: There were a number of death threats made against me and thats as much as I know.
“I did not go to the referendum count on the advice of the police as they thought it was a place where people would expect me to be.
I thought it was just individuals sitting on their keyboards making threats, but after what happened to Jo you have to take more precautions, especially for your family.
A Durham Constabulary spokesperson confirmed the force was investigating, adding: “Several pieces of information have come to our attention regarding malicious communication towards Pat Glass MP.
“We have been working with Mrs Glass to progress inquiries while offering advice and support during the investigation.
“A specific threat was dealt with by officers in Consett last week, (and) working with Mrs Glass`s office, appropriate action was taken and the threat negated.”
Mrs Glass, who until Monday (June 27) was Labours shadow minister of state for Europe, first won her seat in 2010.
She was promoted to the education brief this week but only lasted 48 hours in the post before handing in her notice amid the welter of front bench resignations in the Labour party.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have today resigned. My dream job but the situation is untenable,” she said as allies of Labour`s embattled leader Jeremy Corbyn braced themselves for a formal challenge on Wednesday (June 29) following MPs inflicting an unprecedented vote of “no confidence” on him.