Woman MP moved to safe house after death threats

[ArabellaScott]

This happens far too often.

A man has been sentenced for a campaign of threats against Carol Monaghan, MP. It sounds utterly terrifying.

Social media is blamed for exacerbating the problem - some of the threats made against Ms Monahan came from Twitter.

How do we even begin to address this? It feels like women are being chased out of public life at the moment.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57614736

It's too depressing for words. Male violence is ruining everything. We need to at the very least be able to say so!

Horrible. Just horrible.

I'm really worried about what's happening with Kate Leadbetter in Batley and Spen right now.

Honestly, this is all completely unacceptable.

Kim. Not Kate.

@thecatfromjapan

Horrible. Just horrible.

I'm really worried about what's happening with Kate Leadbetter in Batley and Spen right now.

Honestly, this is all completely unacceptable.

Oh no, I haven't followed this. What is happening with Kate Leadbetter? I knew Jo at university and saw her sister was standing - incredibly brave imo. I really hope that it isn't anything really awful? That poor family have suffered enough.

The story about Carol Monahan is just dreadful. That poor woman. What can we do to try and stop this?

Yes, sorry, Kim.

It's awful. The situation in B & S just seems dreadful. Stirred up by the appalling George Galloway.

There's been homophobic leafletting & there's a video of her being followed and aggressively shouted at by a group of men today.

It's just horrible.

I really think we need some sort of major change in our politics because the serious abuse is just appalling and worrying.

These statements from Twitter are an absolute load of crap:

Twitter said it takes action against accounts which violate rules on abuse and harassment.

No, they don't. They allow free rein to men, TW and TW allies to post all manner of threats, abuse and harassment, they do, however, suspend and ban women at the drop of a hat if they dare to say TW are not women or reference the biological, immutable fact of sex.

In response, Twitter said: Abuse and harassment have no place on our service. We have clear rules in place that apply to everyone, everywhere, that address threats of violence, abuse and harassment and hateful conduct, and we take action when we identify accounts that violate these rules.

You are having a laugh Twitter, you have done nothing about the abuse JKR and Rosie Duffield received and continue to receive, if a woman is on the receiving end of the abuse you practically cheer it on.

It's disgusting that women in public life have to put up with this and be told to just grow a thicker skin, it's abhorrent and it shows clearly just how far down the food chain women are perceived to be.

That's dreadful. There really needs to be much more done to tackle the male harassment, abuse and threats towards female politicians. It really is unacceptable and pushes women out of public life while discouraging others from getting involved in politics in the first place.

I entirely agree that women are being pushed out of public life by abuse on social media.

Twitter needs to go.

Twitter has knowingly created a space for the abuse of women. They should be ashamed.
I personally think organizations with any credibility should remove themselves from Twitter as long as this carries on. It is all wrong that it is made intolerable for women but is seen as somewhere that people in public life have to be.

Twitter has knowingly created a space for the abuse of women. They should be ashamed.
I personally think organizations with any credibility should remove themselves from Twitter as long as this carries on. It is all wrong that it is made intolerable for women but is seen as somewhere that people in public life have to be.

Completely agree. It's totally unacceptable that people are allowed to bully, intimidate and harass women in this way and remain on the platform, and remain members of their political parties.

It looks like people are harassing her due to her support for LGBT people, her refusal to submit to the politics of division and her lack of intolerance towards teaching children about natural human variety. It's really awful stuff and disgusting that she has to seek refuge. That she seems unwilling to bow the usual intolerant pile on is a real cause for optimism. Hope over hate and intolerancee is always the better option, hopefully the local voters will think the same.

It's largely irrelevant what she is and isn't being harassed for. It's unacceptable behaviour and should be treated with the utmost seriousness.

These vile men are our very own home-grown Taliban. Who and what nurtures them?

I hadn't heard about Kim Leadbetter. This is unacceptable. I want to go and stand beside her.

www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/jo-cox-batley-spen-kim-leadbetter-v14cf22d2

At least Starmer has spoken out on the abuse Kim has received - still waiting for Nicola Sturgeon to condemn the threats and abuse received by Joanna Cherry.

This is shocking to read Arabella. I am glad she is standing up and saying that the degree of abuse and threat has gone way too far. And that parties are telling their MPs that it is a just fact of life.

There are groups stating that disagreement is abuse and literal violence, while people are having to put up with actual abuse and being told it is a fact of life.

NewlyGranny, of course there are acknowledged links between domestic abusers and terrorists.

(content warning for some of these links: dv, abuse, rape)

www.forbes.com/sites/nikitamalik/2018/09/11/the-role-of-domestic-violence-in-terrorism/?sh=1cd7e023ea28

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/10/seeds-terrorism-sown-home-domestic-violence-islamic-state

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0309132513512231

And here's a study on 'cyber violence' against women.

www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=IPOL_STU(2018)604979

parties are telling their MPs that it is a just fact of life.

It's not. It is unacceptable. It has to change.

This is something I wish MN would campaign on, actually. Finding ways to ensure women are not completely pushed out of politics and the wider public sphere. Non-partisan, apolitical, focussed purely on protecting the voices of women in the public sphere.

We shouldn't need to be anonymous posters on a forum. It should be safe and accepted for women to speak about the things that matter to them. As if it isn't hard enough balancing work and a family - then there's the death threats to contend with. And in Carol Monaghan's case, threats to her family.

Something needs doing.

Agree totally Arabella.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/women-politicians-abuse-harassment-sexism-b1812937.html

I know it's the Fawcett Society, but research from them says 7 in 10 women put off by sexism.

See, I start thinking 'we could do this' and that there are moves afoot, and then I think of the 50:50 campaign and the Scottish Govt's representation on Public Boards act, both of which have created campaigns to defend the voices of women, and both of which have then carefully ensured males are included, and I just about lose the will.

This is also shite:

'Research has found that black, Asian and minority ethnic female MPs are subjected to far more abuse online than their white peers – with a previous study by Amnesty International showing that black female MPs and journalists were 84 per cent more likely to be mentioned in abusive tweets than white women.'

@ArabellaScott

This is also shite:

'Research has found that black, Asian and minority ethnic female MPs are subjected to far more abuse online than their white peers – with a previous study by Amnesty International showing that black female MPs and journalists were 84 per cent more likely to be mentioned in abusive tweets than white women.'

Yes.

That 'free speech' on social media leads to vulnerable groups - people, in fact - finding that participation in public life (& politics) becomes threatening to their safety and well-being.

Social media is organised by private companies but it is now such a huge part of public life ... it's impossible not to feel that there has to be some sort of control.

I mean, this situation just seems unsustainable.

god that's astonishing

how often do male MPs receive death threats so credible that they are moved to a safe house?

why does the sight of women in power make some men so angry that the only response they can muster is to threaten to kill them?