U.K. announces fund to boost MP security over safety fears

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Tensions around the world caused by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas have led the British government to boost its spending on security for members of parliament Abby kugathasan is on the story for us she’s right outside Westminster live in London this hour Abby tell us more about how much the

Government is spending and why now Heather the British government says it’s going to spend an additional 31 million pounds on security for elected representatives MP safety has been a concern here in the UK just as it is in other countries including ours in Canada now recently one labor MP said that

Death threats are the norm a Tor MP saying that he’s not going to stand again after an alleged arson attack on his office and a female MP saying that she always carries a panic button that’s linked to Police Services given the threat that she feels um now Rishi sunak

The British prime minister talking about the fact that elected officials are facing verbal threats that they’re being physically targeted as well so this money is going to now go towards providing bodyguards for some MPS additional police Patrols in England and Wales uh elected representatives could could get a dedicated police contact

Each of them um and there’s also some money being set aside to expand a cyber security with the online threat being ever present now again MP safety a major concern here in the UK especially in recent years following the murder of two uh elected representatives Joe Cox in

2018 by a white supremacist and David Amos in 2021 by an is supporter both of those MPS were out speaking to their constituents when they were attack so certainly here in the UK M MP safety is certainly a top priority and not something that they take lightly Heather Abby the Prime Minister says

This harassment has really increased in recent weeks because of tension about the war ongoing in the Middle East what has the incident been what has the impact of that increased tension been yeah some of this funding the reasoning being provided by the Rishi sunak government certainly has to do

With the tension here in the UK between what the government is saying it can and will do uh with regard to the crisis uh in the Middle East and what people here expect now we know that the uh Tor government here has not called for a permanent ceasefire the labor opposition

Only called for one recently amid immense pressure some of that pressure we have been seeing in demonstrations not just here in London but across the UK here in in London 250,000 500,000 up to a million people demonstrating weekend after weekend demanding a ceasefire and a new poll saying that 66%

Of Britain’s want to see just that so there is a discrepancy between what people a majority of the people here in the UK want to see their government do and what their government is doing but of course a senses here too in the UK that it doesn’t matter if you don’t

Agree with your elected official harassing intimidating uh MPS is absolutely unacceptable Abby thank you so much Abby outside Westminster live for us in London this hour

The British government has announced 31 million pounds ($53 million Cdn) to provide new security measures in response to threats against members of Parliament and other officials over the Israel-Hamas war.

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