Ian Byrne (hard left Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby), has revealed that he and his family, as well as his office staff, were under threat of death.
According to a statement by the MP, a far-right extremist who had posted comments on the murder of Sir David Amess and claimed he would not become the last MP to die was photographed outside his West Derby office.
In his statement Mr Byrne commented, “This is a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by all who work in the public eye for a society free from division and hate”.
Mr Byrne has been receiving support from the counter terrorism unit of parliament. He will resume constituency surgeries starting in September with revised procedures.
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Following his statement, Mr Byrne has received messages of solidarity from fellow MPs on Twitter, with Claudia Webbe MP tweeting, “No one should be subjected to this level of violence, hate or abuse”.
Ms Webbe was convicted of harassment and was expelled by the Labour party in November 2021.
This afternoon’s statement by Mr Byrne comes as he continues to fight to secure reselection as the Labour candidate for Liverpool West Derby at the next election.
In recent week’s this battle has become increasingly acrimonious with Mr Byrne raising concerns about the process as he seeks to secure the necessary support to get on the ballot.
Referring to suggestions that his supporters participating in reselection meetings by Zoom should hold up signs of support, Mr Byrne was previously quoted in the Liverpool Echo as saying, “It’s absolutely awful to have to do this but the discrepancy between last night’s attendance by my supporters and the results of the ballot that came back today is massive. So the visibility of voting intentions on this occasion is vital because it’s the only way we can prove if votes are being gerrymandered”.
Liverpool West Derby is one the most secure Labour seats in England. The party won 77% of the vote at the 2019 General Eleciton.
