A Conservative MP read out an abusive email he received on the sixth anniversary of Jo Cox’s murder, calling for an end to “this sick element in society”.
Wellingborough MP Peter Bone read out the graphic email to highlight the verbal abuse all MPs are still receiving.
Mrs Cox was killed in 2016 when she was shot and stabbed by a neo-Nazi outside her constituency surgery a week before the EU referendum.
Mr Bone said: “On the sixth anniversary of Jo Cox’s death, who I remember as a happy, young Labour MP who was clearly going to make a mark on this place, and her dreadful murder, and of course the loss of my dear friend David Amess, I thought it might be helpful to the House if I read an email I got yesterday.”
Peter Bone
Joe Giddens
Mr Bone then proceeded to read out the email.
He added: “‘Hi, just wanted to say something to you Peter, you are a odious – and then the next word begins with F and the next word begins with C – I hope you get a horrible, painful cancer and suffer in agony, either that or somebody kicks – the F-word again – out of you in the street’.”
He added: “That isn’t fair obviously to me, it is not fair to my staff that have to read this, and it is not fair to my family members.
“I raise this today not because it is about me, because I bet virtually everyone in this House has had something like this, and I think on the anniversary when we remember Jo, I wonder if the Leader of the House could have a statement or debate, but more importantly have something to do, something to stop this sick element in society.”
Commons Leader Mark Spencer condemned the email Mr Bone read out, while Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle urged all MPs to raise abusive emails they received with him immediately.