Throwing anything at politicians is dangerous, even if it’s ‘just’ a milkshake
Share:
Today, Victoria Thomas-Bowen, who threw an object at Nigel Farage during the election campaign, was given a suspended 13-week prison sentence after admitting assault. The reaction to both the case and the subsequent sentencing concerned me, and, given the work I do, I want to explain the significance of this case in the context of growing abuse and intimidation in our democracy.
![[TOPSHOT-BRITAIN-EU-POLITICS-SHOOTING]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-540692516.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
When the attack in Clacton first unfolded, I was disappointed to see many people suggest that it ‘wasn’t a big deal’. As Civility Commission Manager at The Jo Cox Foundation, I know that abuse and intimidation of our elected representatives is one of the biggest threats to our democracy in the UK.
![[Hannah Phillips from Jo Cox foundation: reaction to Farage/milkshake verdict]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233450861-481e-e1734353141518.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
I invite you to put yourself in the shoes of a politician in 2024. If you were an MP, you operate in an environment in which, in the last eight years alone, two of your colleagues, Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, have been murdered at work. Others have survived assassination attempts.
![[Hannah Phillips from Jo Cox foundation: reaction to Farage/milkshake verdict]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233450862-4d4b.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Many more, colleagues, and maybe even you, receive regular abuse. A regular part of your staff’s day job is filtering threats on your social media accounts. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.
Up Next. You may have had to deal with the office being vandalised. You might have been spat at on the street. If you are a woman, the abuse you receive is likely personalised and sexist. If you are a woman of an ethnic and/or religious minority, the abuse you receive may be even worse.
