Man arrested after Labour’s Angela Rayner receives threatening calls

MP reported abusive phone calls to the police

Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, reported threatening phone calls to the police. Getty

A man has been arrested after the UK Labour Party's deputy leader Angela Rayner received a series of threatening and abusive phone calls.

Greater Manchester Police arrested a 52-year-old man on suspicion of malicious communications in Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Wednesday morning.

Ms Rayner, a mother of three who represents Ashton-under-Lyme, reported receiving the threatening contacts over a number of weeks.

She thanked police for their support and said that the impact of the threats had been “particularly difficult for my children”.

Police said the arrest was directly related to a number of abusive phone calls Ms Rayner received on October 15. The man was bailed pending further inquiries.

“Angela and her staff have received a number of threatening, malicious and abusive communications in recent weeks,” a spokesman for Ms Rayner said.

“We are working with the police to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice and Angela would like to thank the police for their work during these investigations.

“Abuse and threats of this nature don’t just have an impact on Angela but also on her family, her children and her staff who are on the receiving end of these communications.”

There is increased concern over the safety of MPs and the level of abuse they receive following the killing of Sir David Amess.

The veteran Conservative MP for Southend West was stabbed in a suspected terror attack during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

Ms Rayner is on bereavement leave after losing a close loved one and is hoping to return to work “as soon as possible”.

“Abusive, threatening or bullying behaviour towards anyone is completely unacceptable and we will always do what we can to ensure those responsible are identified and held accountable for their behaviour,” Greater Manchester Police’s Det Sgt Christopher Dean said.

“Although we have arrested one man, our investigation remains very much ongoing and we will continue to pursue all available lines of inquiry to identify all those responsible.”