Whether or not Tory supporters are mean or not is actually beside the point to an extent.
I see a difference between 'supporters' and the general electorate, particularly those who are swing voters who don't treat politics like a football team.
From where I stand, one of the problem isn't so much the difference in behaviour but actually which group sees itself as the 'nice group' and then has behaviour that doesn't reflect that self belief. It stinks of hypocrisy. And I think many a neutral looks at this and gets turns off by it. Why? Because they try to justify behaviour which is frankly totally unacceptable, not just disrespectful but is actively harming our country.
I don't think it's right that any MP feels they have to move out of their constituency due to abuse. I was told this by a party member of a different party to the Tory MP in question. This Tory MP was getting threats to their children and dogs shit through the door. They eventually quit politics some years ago because of it. The problem has been getting steadily worse since. In the years since there's been numerous others who have said similar. That's unlawful intimidation and harassment. If we are at this level, it endangers democracy full stop. We lose potentially good people from politics from all parties.
The way Jess Phillips was treated on Thursday was no more acceptable. The way Rosie Duffield has been treated has been appalling (noting this hasn't even been from other parties). The way a bunch of cross party MPs who refused to tow the party line over Brexit, were treated was appalling.
I can not understand why we are having this argument about who is worse. The point is actually that it shouldn't be happening and we shouldn't be making excuses for it, regardless of 'frustration' or whatever other bullshit there is. There are lots of other ways to express that there is a massive problem without resorting to this. It doesn't actually achieve anything but result in people who really could represent this country well going 'fuck that, I can do more good doing x, y or z without putting my family at risk'.
Anyone who ends up an MP is on a hiding to nothing tbh. You have to understand what it's going to be like. Some MPs are decent (I say this about every party too). Some are totally out of touch. Some are militant and totally lost sight of reality. But we end up with less of the decent sort if the quality of life becomes so intolerable. It becomes only attractive to the zealotty more extreme types to stand if levels of abuse get so bad.
I don't think those who busily shout at MPs of the opposing side quite get how they are part of the polarisation process which has driven us to this state.
If we can't communicate across the chamber - or real life - we can not build consensus which works for the population as a whole. It is the very definition of what divide and conquer manifests as.
Have a think about it. Whoses interests do you serve if you drive capable and competent people out of politics? Who then is in parliament to make points about unintended consequences and make intelligent stinging rebuttals about policy rather than these bloody awful personality attacks that are so common in the House of Commons?
Seriously. When we descend to personal attacks in politics we all bloody lose.