This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/17/yvette-cooper-urges-labour-leadership-tackle-online-abuse
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Yvette Cooper urges Labour leadership to do more to tackle online abuse | Yvette Cooper urges Labour leadership to do more to tackle online abuse |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour and other parties have a responsibility to stamp out vitriolic online abuse that is threatening to stifle democracy and all too frequently targets women, Yvette Cooper has said. | Labour and other parties have a responsibility to stamp out vitriolic online abuse that is threatening to stifle democracy and all too frequently targets women, Yvette Cooper has said. |
| The former shadow home secretary called on Jeremy Corbyn to do more to stop the internet harassment of Labour figures that she said was coming from both inside and outside the party. | The former shadow home secretary called on Jeremy Corbyn to do more to stop the internet harassment of Labour figures that she said was coming from both inside and outside the party. |
| “I am ashamed at how slow my party is still being to act against online abuse,” Cooper said. “Vitriolic abuse is damaging democracy. Intimidation is stopping people engaging in public debate. The internet should be making it easier to get involved, so we cannot allow it to magnify this hate instead.” | |
| She said Labour and all political parties had a duty to lead public debate “out of this gutter”. | She said Labour and all political parties had a duty to lead public debate “out of this gutter”. |
| “Jeremy Corbyn has rightly condemned abuse and rightly called for a kinder, gentler politics last year,” Cooper said. “But words are not enough. The Labour leadership has a responsibility to party members, staff, elected representatives and supporters to ensure they are not subject to a baying mob online or offline … | |
| “Neither Jeremy nor anyone else in a senior Labour position can be a bystander when abuse is going on, yet that is what is happening.” | |
| She added: “Some of the awful abuse – including death threats – aimed at Labour members, Labour MPs and at our leadership has been from the far right or from those who hate the Labour party. But there has also been unacceptable abuse from within the party too. We cannot allow this to poison our party.” | She added: “Some of the awful abuse – including death threats – aimed at Labour members, Labour MPs and at our leadership has been from the far right or from those who hate the Labour party. But there has also been unacceptable abuse from within the party too. We cannot allow this to poison our party.” |
| Cooper, who will open a conference organised by the movement Reclaim the Internet on Monday in London, called for all companies, political parties and institutions to take tough action. She has written to Iain McNicol, Labour’s general secretary, with a proposed code of conduct that calls for members to be expelled if they have engaged in abuse, intimidation or harassment online. | Cooper, who will open a conference organised by the movement Reclaim the Internet on Monday in London, called for all companies, political parties and institutions to take tough action. She has written to Iain McNicol, Labour’s general secretary, with a proposed code of conduct that calls for members to be expelled if they have engaged in abuse, intimidation or harassment online. |
| She is also calling for social media companies to take tougher action and be more transparent, and for police to have more training in how to investigate online crimes. | She is also calling for social media companies to take tougher action and be more transparent, and for police to have more training in how to investigate online crimes. |
| Last week John Nimmo, a convicted online abuser, pleaded guilty at South Tyneside magistrates court to sending a letter or communication to the Labour MP Luciana Berger which caused anxiety or distress. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Wednesday. | Last week John Nimmo, a convicted online abuser, pleaded guilty at South Tyneside magistrates court to sending a letter or communication to the Labour MP Luciana Berger which caused anxiety or distress. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Wednesday. |
| Berger contacted police after receiving threats, including a message saying she was going to “get it like Jo Cox did”. Nimmo was previously convicted in January 2014 and jailed for eight weeks for online abuse of the Labour MP Stella Creasy and the feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez. | Berger contacted police after receiving threats, including a message saying she was going to “get it like Jo Cox did”. Nimmo was previously convicted in January 2014 and jailed for eight weeks for online abuse of the Labour MP Stella Creasy and the feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez. |
| Berger has repeatedly been subjected to abuse, often referencing her Jewish heritage, and she has increased the security at her home. | |
| Last week female members of Labour’s ruling body, the NEC, said they had been subjected to death and rape threats online, as well as offline abuse including having their windows and cars smashed, in the run-up to a vote on whether Corbyn should be included on the ballot paper in the Labour leadership contest. |