This chilling viral tweet by an MP’s daughter is an essential read for Boris Johnson
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- Hollie Richardson
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Yvette Cooper’s daughter, Ellie, has shared a tweet that explains how she literally fears for her mum’s life amid the Brexit chaos. And it’s a chilling but essential read.
It’s time to stop using inflammatory language in conversations around brexit, which is currently dividing the country and inciting hate – especially against female politicians.
This is the message that MPs, political commentators and many, many members of the voting public are sending to Boris Johnson, after he failed to accept the violence that such rhetoric can lead to.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister was reminded of how extremist Brexit talk led to the murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016.
Labour MP Paula Sheriff also told Johnson about the abuse and hatred that female politicians still face everyday. But his reply was simple: “Humbug”. He also said that what would honour Jo’s death is if we “get Brexit done”.
Jess Phillips is just one of the members of parliament who has shown her disappointment in the comments. Phillips explained in an interview that Johnson’s words have been used against her in death threats. She also gave a powerful statement in the House of Commons on Thursday, saying:
“The people opposite me know how appalling it was to describe the murder of my friend as mere humbug.”
“I want to ask the Prime Minister to apologise and to tell him that the bravest, strongest thing to say is sorry. It will make him look good. It will not upset the people who want Brexit in this country if he acts for once like a statesman.”
She then called for calm when people tried to object.
Hours later, it was announced that a man who tried to break into her constituency office in Birmingham had been arrested.
This week has brought the realities of what being a female MP throughout the Brexit chaos over the last three years has really been like. Women are literally fearing for their lives.
And now, the teenage daughter of Labour MP Yvette Cooper has shared her experiences of what being the daughter of a female MP has been like.
Breaking her silence on Twitter, Cooper said she could no longer keep quiet about what she and her family have experienced.
She detailed how their house was fitted with panic buttons and recalls the moment everything changed when she found out about Cox’s murder.
Here is her thread in full:
The urgency of the message about changing the language used around Brexit was echoed by the 30,000 who have liked the initial post.
We’ll be waiting to see if Johnson answers Phillips’ call for an apology.
Because, as Cooper so poignantly says: “This rising of hatred is costing people their lives.”
Images: Getty, Jo Cox Foundation