Anna Soubry MP branded ‘Nazi’ amid ‘threatening behaviour’ outside parliament

Police are looking at a report of a public order offence after an MP was branded a “Nazi” and faced “threatening behaviour” outside parliament.

Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry, who is a prominent Conservative supporter of a second EU referendum, shared a video of her on Twitter facing the taunt of “Nazi” during a TV interview on Monday.

The former Tory minister also shared another video of her being confronted by a group of male protesters as she made her way back into parliament.

In that video, filmed by anti-Brexit campaigner Femi Oluwole, Ms Soubry points to how children are present nearby, while two police officers are stood on the other side of the road.

The men are shown shouting “fascist” and “full of lies” at the politician.

Commenting on the incidents, Ms Soubry posted: “Apparently MPs & politicians are meant to accept it as part of the democratic process.

“I fail to see why journalists and technicians should be subjected to the same abuse & intimidation as the police stand by and do nothing.

“They tried to stop me getting into parliament.”

Guardian journalist Owen Jones also posted a video of himself being confronted by protesters, who gathered around outside broadcasting points in Westminster.

Groups of protesters have been present around parliament in recent weeks as MPs debate the prime minister’s Brexit deal.

On Monday night, a group of 50 cross-party MPs wrote to Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick to “express our serious concerns about the deteriorating public order and security situation in and around the exterior of the parliamentary estate”.

The issue was earlier discussed in the House of Commons, with Tory MP Nick Boles raising a point of order about reports of “threatening behaviour of certain protesters” towards Ms Soubry.

In response, House of Commons’ Speaker John Bercow told MPs the police had been “made well aware” of his concerns.

He said: “I say no more than that I am concerned at this stage about what seems to be a pattern of protests targeted in particular – I do not say exclusively – at women.

“Female members and, I am advised, in a number of cases, female journalists, have been subjected to aggressive protest and what many would regard as harassment.”

Labour MP Pat McFadden spoke of a “completely unacceptable level of abuse” directed at Ms Soubry and Sky News’ presenter Kay Burley.

His fellow Labour MP Mary Creagh told Mr Bercow the abuse of MPs outside parliament was being broadcast on social media in order to raise funds for far-right activity.

“This abuse seems to be directed specifically at women and has a strong streak of misogyny,” she said.

“And it is now being streamed on Facebook Live in order to raise revenue for these far-right people so that they can fund their trolling activities online and in the real world.”

Ms Creagh urged Mr Bercow to write to social media companies so that certain accounts “can be shut down and these individuals do not profit from filming their abuse of MPs”.

The Speaker said he would “carefully reflect” on Ms Creagh’s request.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said they had “received a third party report of a public order offence on Monday 7 January, in the area of College Green, SW1”.

“Officers are assessing if any crimes have been committed,” they added. “There has been no arrest at this stage.”

(c) Sky News 2019: Anna Soubry MP branded ‘Nazi’ amid ‘threatening behaviour’ outside parliament