Security vetting stepped up after MP is given bodyguard with far-right links | Politics

The security company that provides protection for MPs has tightened its vetting processes after it sent a bodyguard with far-right connections to protect a politician under threat from extremists.

Mitie, which has a £31 million contract for the work, is updating its CPO (Close Protection Operation) review processes to include regular social media checks. The social media activities of those currently assigned will also be randomly checked.

Concerns have increased about the threat to MPs from extremists, including Islamists and the far right; elected representatives faced a level of threat not seen since the campaign launched by Irish republican terrorists in the 1980s and 70s.

Mitie’s contract follows the killing of Conservative MP David Amess by an Islamist terrorist in 2021. This comes five years after the murder of Labor MP Jo Cox.

Harassment and crimes against MPs have reached record levels; According to the latest figures, the number of cases has doubled in two years, reaching nearly 1,000 annually as of March.

Among the cases is Greens MP Hannah Spencer. who needed a police escort when he was targeted by men disrupting a protest against the far right.

Contacted by the Guardian after MPs raised concerns privately, a spokesman for Mitie said: “Our priority is the safety of those in our care and we hold our close protection officers to the highest standards. If these standards are not maintained, we will take appropriate action as soon as possible.”

All of the company’s close protection officers hold Security Industry Authorization licences, which is a mandatory legal requirement for people working as security guards, door supervisors and CCTV operators.

Social media checks were part of the review process but Mitie is understood to have tightened such scrutiny earlier this month.

Last month, a minister told parliament that threats against female MPs had a “chilling effect” on women considering entering politics.

This week, a 42-year-old man from Blackpool was given a 12-month restraining order and fined £120 for disrupting a jobs fair organized by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb. Webb later said the case was not an isolated incident and that he had received a “constant barrage of threats, including death threats” from the far right since winning a by-election for Labor in 2024.

“This escalation is not just about the safety of MPs; it represents a serious and growing threat to the health of our democracy,” he said, adding that his colleagues were experiencing an increase in threats.

“Attempts to intimidate or silence public officials are an attack on the rights and freedoms that underpin our political system. We must do more to ensure the safety and security of MPs and their families, or we risk further tragedies.”

Webb and MPs from various parties shared their experiences and concerns about their safety and that of their colleagues. debate in parliament last month. They were updated on the work of the Defending Democracy task force, which works across government to protect democratic institutions.

Security minister Dan Jarvis, who chaired the taskforce, said: “The volume, scope and tempo of threats against elected representatives are unprecedented.”

Jarvis said he and MI5’s director-general had discussed the issue with senior leaders of political parties and cited the horrific reality of a “blizzard of attacks, vandalism, stalking, blockades and online abuse” that was also affecting families.

She added: “Women and representatives of ethnic minorities report the highest amount of abuse, including explicitly sexual and racially charged threats, which is having a chilling effect on who can run for public office.”

MPs have expressed concerns about their safety to the speaker’s office, which liaises with the parliamentary security department, which was set up in 2016 to provide personal advice to politicians and their staff.

A review of security measures for MPs was launched following Amess’s murder in 2021, and additional measures were developed for constituency surgeries and events, including safety and security training.

A spokesman for parliamentary officials said: “It is fundamental to our democracy that members and staff can carry out their parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the property. Abuse and intimidation are completely unacceptable.”