Wolverhampton MP fears for safety of staff and family after torrent of abuse, threats and harassment

Stuart Anderson MP for Wolverhampton South West

Stuart Anderson said police have investigated 19 incidents against him, including threats of violence, vandalism, intimidation and harassment.

They include a ski-masked gang gathered outside his office intimidating petrified staff, threats against his wife and children, and confrontations in the street. His downtown office has been attacked on 10 separate occasions.

Three people have been convicted, including a man last week who was pleaded guilty of threatening to blow up his office, while another is on the run from the police.

Anderson, a Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West and a member of the government, said the situation is so bad that his family has moved house and no longer socializes in the constituency.

The former soldier told the Express & Star: "This is constant violence and intimidation that has had a devastating impact on all of us.

โ€œIn the army, you can be in a conflict zone for six months and then you retire. Here it is continuous.

"The attacks have really become commonplace. It has made everyone nervous and we are living in fear."

โ€œIt has been terrifying for everyone. It may be something I voted for, or they may be anti-vaxxers, or they may just not be like me.

"Often it's people I've never met or talked to before. They just show up and want to try it. It wears you out."

โ€œAs a family, we had to move house due to the threats we faced and now spend our social time outside of the constituency. We couldn't even go to church because of the abuse.

"I don't care if people disagree with my policy, but there is a way to do it and it is not through violence and intimidation."

Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson outside his office in the city center

The incidents include death threats. His wife and children have also been threatened and he has been harassed and confronted on the street.

In a series of vandalism attacks on his office, windows were smashed and his front was covered with anti-conservative graffiti and anti-vaccine posters.

Last week, Dr Abdul Alam, of Hilton Road, Wolverhampton, was found guilty of malicious communications after threatening to blow up the MP's office.

As a result of the threats, the family moved house and the office staff were scared to go to work. They have been under police protection and additional CCTV has been installed.

Anderson said they never socialize in the city now and that his family asked him to retire as an MP there because they can no longer take the abuse.

Four cases have reached the courts. One saw a man who "hated politicians" receive a suspended sentence and fine after threatening staff and causing criminal damage to the office.

In December 2021, another court case saw a defendant receive a restraining order after conducting a campaign of abuse against Mr. Anderson.

In another incident in October 2020, a gang of around 15 masked men gathered outside the office to intimidate people. The following month, a threat against the lives of Mr. Anderson's children was left on the office answering machine, forcing him to remove them from school for a week.

Other incidents included malicious emails, threatening phone calls, shouting abuse through the office intercom, and verbal abuse of his wife on the playground as he was picking up their children from school.

Police are currently searching for a man after failing to appear in court.

Anderson moved to the city before being elected MP for Wolverhampton South West in 2019. He was previously a councilor in Herefordshire.

He said there were "certain trigger points" when the abuse against him worsened, such as the controversy over the free school meals vote in October 2020.

He said that despite the abuse he had faced, he was determined to continue representing the constituency.

"I have never been a deputy who has come out to criticize the opposition," he said. "I always try to carry on with the day-to-day work and I will always do my best for the people of Wolverhampton South West.

"Unfortunately, there is now a culture where if you see an MP or even their family, it is considered acceptable to go up to them and attack them.

"We saw what happened with Jo Cox and Sir David Amess [sitting MPs who were murdered]. Tragically, they will not be the last."

Leave a Comment

Comments

No comments yet. Why donโ€™t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *