BODYGUARDS could be provided to all MPs in a bid to beef up their security, Rishi Sunak has said.
The Prime Minister’s suggestion comes after Tory minister Mike Freer announced he would be quitting Parliament over death threats and intimidation because of his pro-Israel views.
AlamyTory minister Mike Freer announced he would be quitting Parliament over death threats and intimidation because of his pro-Israel views[/caption]
RuckasRishi Sunak sat down with Piers Morgan for an hour-long interview for TalkTV in Downing Street[/caption]
In an hour-long interview for TalkTV with Piers Morgan, the broadcaster suggested giving all MPs a security guard could be a good idea.
The PM replied: “I mean, look, there may well be an argument for that.”
The Prime Minister said what Mr Freer had to endure was “awful” and stressed MPs’ security is “something constantly being reviewed”.
But he also spoke about the importance of looking at the “ideology that is driving that kind of behaviour” to ensure “we tackle it at its root”.
Mr Freer revealed last week he and his staff had started wearing stab vests after learning he had narrowly avoided being attacked by Islamist terrorist Ali Harbi Ali, who went on to murder Southend West MP Sir David Amess in 2021.
He also said he had also received death threats from a group calling themselves Muslims Against Crusades.
Mr Sunak told Piers: “What we can’t have is that kind of extremist ideology festering in communities, on our streets, that leads people to behave in that particular way, and I think that is equally as important.”
The PM also described the rise of antisemitism over the last few months as “appalling”.
He said the Government is providing more funding to the organisations that protect Jewish places of faith and that he is talking to the police about “where extra powers are needed to properly police these protests”.
Mr Sunak explained: “So that is a conversation where I have been very clear; if we think that there are new powers that they need in order to effectively deal with some of the things we are all seeing, then we are very open to doing that and legislating and bringing forward quite tough things.
“But right now, if there is someone who is breaking the law I have been very clear with all the police: those people should face the full force of the law; they should have absolutely no tolerance for this.”
Watch the full interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored’s YouTube channel on Monday at 2pm and on TalkTV at 8pm on Monday
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