Inside chilling scale of intimidation that marred election from smashed windows to masked mobs surrounding candidate
THE chilling scale of intimidation that marred the General Election campaign is today laid bare – sparking warnings our democracy is “under attack”.
In ugly scenes, politicians and activists had car tyres slashed, were hounded through the streets by groups of men and heckled over the Gaza conflict.
Masked mobs burst into political meetings and even surrounded one candidate in their car.
Women, in particular, were targeted, with one activist encircled by men in East London demanding to know where her “husband” was.
And cops were called after vandals smashed Labour Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy’s office window.
Another politician felt so unsafe, they said a daily “prayer of protection”.
And Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo, warned that, without action, it is “only a matter of time” before someone is killed.
A dossier on the sickening abuse was last night handed to new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper by John Woodcock, known as Lord Walney.
The former government adviser on political violence said his exposé is the tip of the iceberg and demanded an immediate inquiry.
He told The Sun on Sunday: “MPs have been murdered while serving their communities. The threat is real and must be confronted or more lives may be lost.
“The abuse captured on camera during this campaign is bad enough, and there is a darker underbelly of extremism that is coordinated and sinister.
“It must be exposed and stamped out by the new Labour government.”
Political veterans said the 2024 election was the most abusive and frightening in modern British history. Several members of Sir Keir Starmer’s frontbench were abused by pro-Palestine protesters.
Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said: “I saw men crowding around polling stations, threatening people going in.
“People being dragged to vote a certain way — as well as people following activists out door-knocking, filming them, slashing their tyres, threatening them in the street.”
A visibly shaken Jess was heckled at her victory speech by pro-Palestine campaigners. Brendan Cox — whose wife Jo was carrying out her work as a Labour MP when she was killed in 2016 — was meant to go campaigning with Jess, but she cancelled because of the toxic abuse.
There were leaflets going around accusing me of being Genocide Jon
Mr Cox said: “Unless something changes in politics and policing, I think it is just a matter of time before . . . another MP is killed.”
Labour candidate Jonathan Ashworth received a torrent of abuse in his Leicester South patch. He even sought sanctuary in a vicarage after men chased him down the street and yelled at him for 45 minutes.
“Even when I came out of the vicarage, they were shouting at me with megaphones,” he said. “There were leaflets going around accusing me of being Genocide Jon.”
Jonathan lost his seat to Independent MP Shockat Adam — who reposted a video showing his rival being pursued, with a lengthy statement endorsing the behaviour.
A spokesman for Shockat said he would “never condone bullying or harassment” but added: “A bit of questioning in the street is not unusual in a democracy and, if Shockat ever lost touch with his voters as Jonathan did, he would expect to be held similarly accountable.”
‘Designed to intimidate’
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, was targeted by masked men who disrupted a community meeting, “terrifying” those in attendance.
In North Durham, new Labour MP Luke Akehurst was besieged by masked pro-Palestine activists at a campaign meeting on June 2.
Around 40 gathered, before some tried to get in. Luke was rushed to his car but was surrounded by the yobs, screaming slogans including “Zionist scum” and “You believe in genocide” in his face.
He made it into his car but could not drive off as protesters surrounded it. It is believed the louts were visiting university students.
Luke said: “It is legitimate for supporters of the Palestinian cause to peacefully protest.
“But physically preventing a candidate from leaving, surrounding a car chanting abuse and wearing masks is designed to intimidate and has a chilling effect on democracy.”
Harriet Harman is calling on Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to hold a special summit on MPs’ safety
In another disturbing video seen by the Sun on Sunday, a female Liberal Democrat campaigner was filmed surrounded by men in East London, as one asks: “Why are you in the centre of 60 men? Which one is your husband?”
Heather Iqbal, Labour’s candidate in Dewsbury and Batley, said she was called a “genocide enabler” and photographed by “really aggressive young men”.
Another Labour MP said they had had to call cops due to extremist anti-Muslim abuse, adding: “I did feel unsafe. I did this little prayer of protection every time I left the house.”
Meanwhile, an AI-doctored clip spread that pretended to show Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting using foul language towards a member of the public who disagreed with him over the war in Gaza.
Veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman is calling on Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to hold a special summit on MPs’ safety.
She said: “This is an attack on our democracy.” The MP of over 40 years added the intimidation is the “worst I’ve ever seen”.
She criticised the Electoral Commission for not doing enough.
The Electoral Commission and House of Commons condemned the abuse and said they are offering help to politicians.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We take reports of intimidation, harassment and abuse extremely seriously and are following up with individual MPs and candidates.”