We MPs know that Boris Johnson’s rhetoric is dangerous and divisive

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/21/boris-johnsons-rhetoirc-is-dangerous-and-divisive

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As members of parliament, we have borne witness to a change in the way in which politics is conducted in this country that deeply concerns us.

Of course, politics can involve heated debate and there is no doubt that we have both been involved in fiery and impassioned exchanges over the course of our political lives. Politics involves important decisions that can have life-changing impacts and it is unsurprising that such debates and discussions involve emotion on the part of those involved.

Yet something has changed in recent years. We and our colleagues sense an increasingly sharp edge to political exchanges, both inside and outside parliament. The prime minister and his supporters talk of opponents as traitors and collaborators, label legislative proposals as a “surrender bill” and Boris Johnson has reportedly compared himself to the Emperor Augustus, known for leading a bloody purge of his enemies.

Threatening language has crept in to our day-to-day dialogue. Emails or messages on social media from members of the public, instead of simply expressing an opinion or drawing our attention to an important campaign, now sometimes end with barely disguised threats of violence and insults. Tellingly, these often mirror Johnson’s language of “cowards and traitors” and talk of parliament against the people. One recent email insinuated that MPs trying to prevent a no-deal Brexit “should be lined up against a wall and shot for treason”.

Yet we both feel that we are lucky not to have experienced worse. A House of Commons select committee report found in 2017 that members of parliament experience “high levels of racism, misogynistic abuse and other forms of harassment on Twitter” and it feels like the chorus of hate has only become louder in recent months. Our colleagues from all sides of the House, from Diane Abbott to Caroline Spelman, have spoken out about the tidal wave of abuse that has been directed their way.

The threat to political life in the UK is very real. It is hard to think of anything less democratic than a small, shouty minority dominating the communication channels between the people and their representatives, preventing the ordinary debate and exchange of views so necessary in a healthy democracy.

The repercussions of the loss of civility in political life are felt out in the real world. Tell Mama, the watchdog organisation responsible for measuring anti-Muslim attacks, reported a 375% increase in the week after Boris Johnson compared women wearing niqab face veils to “bank robbers” and “letterboxes”. The organisation also received individual reports from Muslim women who had been called “letterbox” as a term of abuse in the street. And hate crime more generally has increased sharply.

Inevitably, a part of the answer to this lies in policy reform and technological solutions to stem the production of inappropriate content, to prevent dogpiling and to ensure that the law provides routes to bring those responsible for stirring hate to justice.

However, these changes can only go so far if the tone from the top serves to encourage, rather than condemn, such hate. The Jo Cox Foundation warned recently that in a context where emotions are running high across the country and anger grows over Brexit, they are “concerned that this anger should not spill over into something more dangerous”.

The prime minister should heed such warnings. So too should the media. Johnson’s rhetoric is dangerous, divisive and we fear there is worse to come. Indeed, MPs have asked: “Who next?” as attacks on their constituency offices continue to occur.

A loss of civility in public life affects us all and we must demand better from those running the country.

• Tracy Brabin is Labour Co-op MP for Batley and Spen and Jack Dromey is Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington