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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/21/angela-eagle-stops-walk-in-surgeries-amid-security-concerns
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| Angela Eagle stops walk-in surgeries amid security concerns | Angela Eagle stops walk-in surgeries amid security concerns |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Angela Eagle has stopped holding public surgeries for constituents on police advice after she received abuse and threats in the wake of her decision to challenge for the Labour party leadership. | Angela Eagle has stopped holding public surgeries for constituents on police advice after she received abuse and threats in the wake of her decision to challenge for the Labour party leadership. |
| The Wallasey MP would see constituents who made appointments, but had stopped walk-in advice sessions for now, her office said. The security of all MPs has been reassessed after the Labour MP Jo Cox was killed in June. | The Wallasey MP would see constituents who made appointments, but had stopped walk-in advice sessions for now, her office said. The security of all MPs has been reassessed after the Labour MP Jo Cox was killed in June. |
| Her office said police had advised Eagle that holding open surgeries could bring some risks, so it was decided to stop them for the time being. | Her office said police had advised Eagle that holding open surgeries could bring some risks, so it was decided to stop them for the time being. |
| Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, was the first MP to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership after a no-confidence vote by the parliamentary party against the leader. She has since dropped out of the race to support the only other contender, Owen Smith. | |
| The day after Eagle announced her challenge, a brick was thrown through a window of the building where her constituency office is based. Her local constituency party, which has threatened to deselect Eagle, was suspended this week amid allegations of bullying. | The day after Eagle announced her challenge, a brick was thrown through a window of the building where her constituency office is based. Her local constituency party, which has threatened to deselect Eagle, was suspended this week amid allegations of bullying. |
| Eagle told the Liverpool Echo the advice on public surgeries came from counter-terrorism officers. | Eagle told the Liverpool Echo the advice on public surgeries came from counter-terrorism officers. |
| “Because we have been getting so much abuse direct to the office, and the advice surgeries are normally done in public, [the police] have sent me an email advising me to cancel them,” she told the paper. | “Because we have been getting so much abuse direct to the office, and the advice surgeries are normally done in public, [the police] have sent me an email advising me to cancel them,” she told the paper. |
| “The police basically think it might not be safe – they do not want them to go ahead at all,” she said. “I think it’s also in the aftermath of what happened to Jo Cox. I am going to take their advice this time but people can still contact my office by phone and email. They are talking to me about future arrangements in terms of security.” | “The police basically think it might not be safe – they do not want them to go ahead at all,” she said. “I think it’s also in the aftermath of what happened to Jo Cox. I am going to take their advice this time but people can still contact my office by phone and email. They are talking to me about future arrangements in terms of security.” |
| She added: “It’s with great reluctance that I’m doing this but the safety of my staff is paramount.” | She added: “It’s with great reluctance that I’m doing this but the safety of my staff is paramount.” |
| DCI Sarah Kenwright of Merseyside police said: “We have given Ms Eagle advice about her surgeries, at her request, but the decision to cancel surgeries is not a police matter and would lie entirely with them.” | DCI Sarah Kenwright of Merseyside police said: “We have given Ms Eagle advice about her surgeries, at her request, but the decision to cancel surgeries is not a police matter and would lie entirely with them.” |
| Last week a man in Paisley, Renfrewshire, was arrested on suspicion of threatening to kill Eagle. He has since been released on police bail. | Last week a man in Paisley, Renfrewshire, was arrested on suspicion of threatening to kill Eagle. He has since been released on police bail. |