Nicky Morgan wants a panic button installed after the murder of MP Jo Cox
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has said that she is considering installing a panic button in her office following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox. The Conservative MP for Loughborough told the Sunday Times that she and her colleagues receive abuse regularly and that the additional security measure would be a more common thing.
"Panic buttons are going to become a lot more common. I'm thinking of having one fitted in my office," she said about abuse of MPs, which happens "all the time".
The MP, who is campaigning to remain in the EU has also called for the tone of the EU referendum campaign to change. "During the last few weeks of the debate, the tone hasn't been right. If we can learn anything from this we can go back to some fundamental good values.
"That has to be the right thing to do."
Morgan, who is also a minister for women and equalities, had received a terrorist death threat last year and had received a warning that she would be physically attacked, according to the paper. The MP had been heckled and mocked with laughter and jeers throughout her speech at a schoolmasters' conference in Birmingham in April.
MPs are urging Home Secretary Theresa May to take a lead over security issues faced by MPs. Tory MP for Hove Mike Weatherley said that his decision to stand down at the last election had been partly due to threats of physical attacks. "At its height I was getting 30 or 40 death threats a day," he said, arguing that his warning had not been acted on after reporting them.
"We reported them to the police but I was told the bar is set so high that you almost have to know that they really mean it and you've got a serious threat against your life for them to take it seriously."
May will hold a meeting with MPs and parliamentary officials tomorrow when parliament is recalled to pay tribute to Jo Cox.
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