Labour's Angela Rayner reveals she has fitted panic button after threats from 'Corbyn supporter'
2 min read
Labour frontbencher Angela Rayner has been forced to install a panic button at home after receiving death and rape threats from "someone claiming to be a Jeremy Corbyn supporter".
The Shadow Education Secretary - who has served in Mr Corbyn's top team since he became Labour leader in 2015 - came under fire on social media this weekend after she praised "one of the best interviews I’ve seen from Tony Blair" and called on her party to embrace "all shades of red" to fight the Conservatives.
In an emotional post on her Facebook page, Ms Rayner hit out at a wave of "nasty tweets and social media comments" she had received after the post on the former Labour Prime Minister, which she said "prove we have a problem with some on the left that cannot disagree respectfully".
And she revealed: "It was only a couple of weeks ago someone claiming to be a Jeremy supporter was arrested for making threats to rape and murder me on social media.
"My house has panic buttons fitted."
The frontbencher said: "I’m not involved in any attempts to undermine our democratically elected leader, I don’t have any ambition to take over the party or be part of any faction and I’m not supporting Tony Blair’s war in Iraq or his attacks on Labour.
"People who know me know my views on this."
But, in a defiant message, Ms Rayner said she respected Mr Blair's "right to disagree as did Jeremy when Tony was leader".
She added: "I’m glad he isn’t leaving the party. We need more members not less. We have to unite as a party (that doesn’t mean we all agree on everything) but to suggest that because I’m trying to keep our great movement together and fight to get Jeremy into number 10 and the Tories out makes me a traitor and that I should resign (I was even given a #ResignRayner hashtag) tells you we have a problem."
The call for political activists to dial down the anger came on the same day a man was charged with assault after Jeremy Corbyn was allegedly hit by an egg during a visit to a mosque.
Pointing to that attack as well as the 2016 murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, Ms Rayner said: "My colleague was assassinated doing her job that I do week in week out.
"Jeremy was attacked this weekend. We have to stop the personal attacks and be kinder to each other."
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