Sajid Javid: I suffered racial abuse during election campaign
The Communities Secretary became the latest MP to speak out about abuse on the campaign trail.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has said he was racially abused during the General Election campaign.
Mr Javid became the latest MP to speak out about abuse on the campaign trail as MPs prepare to debate the issue in Parliament.
During Communities and Local Government questions, Mr Javid was asked about a previous parliamentary report on the matter, and whether it would be considered by a new inquiry announced by Theresa May last week.
Mr Javid said: “With regard to the inquiry that’s been announced by the Prime Minister that will be led by the Committee on Public Life, it should take account of all information.
“We’ve seen with the debate that took place in this House how many members and candidates suffered from racism and other forms of abuse.
“I myself suffered from that during the General Election as well, and I’m sure that we all agree in this House that racism has no place in our society.”
A number of MPs told personal accounts of abuse they had suffered during a Westminster Hall debate last week.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West), speaking during a later debate, told the Commons: “At the weekend, as I was trying to enjoy some quiet time with my family, a member of the public went to the considerable extent of getting my private number to phone me up to tell me she disliked me so much and what I stood for that she wasn’t surprised I got death threats.
“So that was a very charming start to the weekend with my family.”
Later, Tory former minister Anna Soubry accused Labour of “filibustering” after an emergency debate on scheduling parliamentary business ran on, preventing MPs from debating the abuse suffered by candidates during the General Election.
Raising a point of order in the Commons, Ms Soubry said: “Would it be in order for this place to record that because of Labour’s filibustering tonight, this Chamber will not debate the appalling abuse which many women on this side of the House endured during the General Election from the hard left.
“Would it also be in order for this place to record that there are many members on this side of the House, who stood up for the women on that side of the House when they were abused by their hard left leadership.”
Speaker John Bercow replied: “I can assure you that your conduct has been entirely orderly.
“It was open to you to raise that matter in the way that you did and you have done so.”