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Daily Telegraph 'Brexit mutineers' front page blamed for threats to MP Daily Telegraph 'Brexit mutineers' front page blamed for threats to MP
(35 minutes later)
A Daily Telegraph front page vilifying 15 Conservative MPs as a band of “Brexit mutineers” appeared to backfire on Wednesday as the newspaper was accused of bullying and the rebels claimed the description as a badge of honour. Conservative MP Anna Soubry has blamed the Daily Telegraph front page depicting her as a “Brexit mutineer” for a series of threatening tweets her staff have reported to police.
The MPs were pictured smiling on the front of the Telegraph after they indicated they would vote against Theresa May’s efforts to fix the date of Brexit on 29 March 2019. Soubry, the MP for Broxtowe and an outspoken critic of the EU withdrawal bill, which is currently being debated by MPs, told the House of Commons: “According to my office, they have just reported about five, if not more, tweets to the police issuing threats against myself following the front-page article on today’s Daily Telegraph.”
However, government ministers were quick to disavow the front page, insisting that they did not want their party to be divided by the media and that they were working constructively with those Tories seeking improvements to the EU withdrawal bill. She asked the Speaker, John Bercow, to “make it very clear to everybody, in whatever capacity, that they have an absolute duty to report responsibly and make sure they use language that brings our country together and makes sure that we have a democracy that welcomes free speech and an attitude of tolerance”.
Anna Soubry, one of the leading rebels, initially hit out at the “blatant bullying” by the newspaper of those who intend to defy the government. Soubry said her office had deemed several tweets to be particularly threatening since the Telegraph article, One called for her and other Brexit mutineers to be hung drawn and quartered; another saying she deserved a similar fate to murdered MP Jo Cox. Her office said she had also received an email saying she should kill herself; and a Facebook message saying something similar.
But she later told the House of Commons that she regarded the description as something to be proud of, while several other MPs pictured on the front page suggested the stunt had backfired. Bercow praised Britain’s free press, but said any threats to Soubry and her colleagues were “repugnant”, and “doomed to fail”.
Alistair Burt, a foreign office minister, tweeted:
Fabulous collection of some of the best MPs in the country. How small the Telegraph appears in comparison. https://t.co/3bl2Llyc44
A third Tory MP, Heidi Allen, said:
If fighting for the best possible future for our country and our government is considered mutiny - then bring it on. pic.twitter.com/fTvOXqwhF5If fighting for the best possible future for our country and our government is considered mutiny - then bring it on. pic.twitter.com/fTvOXqwhF5
The MPs later won support from Labour colleagues fighting against a hard Brexit with Chuka Umuna, the former shadow cabinet minister, saying the front page was “an ideological witch-hunt to bully Tory MPs to go against their instincts to do what they think best for our country”. The Daily Telegraph front page, vilifying 15 Conservative MPs as a band of “Brexit mutineers”, had already seen the newspaper accused of bullying and the rebels claim the description as a badge of honour.
“Its no different from the Mail’s ‘crush the saboteurs’ nonsense. It will fail. You cannot muzzle democracy,” he said. The MPs were pictured smiling on the front of the Telegraph after they indicated they would vote against Theresa May’s efforts to fix the date of Brexit for 29 March 2019.
The article was also viewed as unhelpful by leading Brexiters. Steve Baker, a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, said: “I regret any media attempts to divide our party. My parliamentary colleagues have sincere suggestions to improve the bill which we are working through and I respect them for that.” However, government ministers were quick to disavow the front page, insisting that they did not want their party to be divided by the media and that they were working constructively with those Tories seeking improvements to the EU withdrawal bill.
Alistair Burt, a Foreign Office minister, tweeted: “Fabulous collection of some of the best MPs in the country. How small the Telegraph appears in comparison.”
A third Tory MP, Heidi Allen, who was also among the 15, said: “If fighting for the best possible future for our country and our government is considered mutiny – then bring it on.”
The MPs later won support from Labour colleagues fighting against a hard Brexit, with Chuka Umunna, a former shadow cabinet minister, saying the front page was “an ideological witch-hunt to bully Tory MPs to go against their instincts to do what they think best for our country”.
“It’s no different from the Mail’s ‘crush the saboteurs’ nonsense. It will fail. You cannot muzzle democracy,” he said.
Leading Brexiters also viewed the article as unhelpful. Steve Baker, a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, said: “I regret any media attempts to divide our party. My parliamentary colleagues have sincere suggestions to improve the bill which we are working through and I respect them for that.”