JOANNA Cherry QC spoke of how online abuse has taken its toll on she and her loved ones during a passionate point of order in the Commons earlier today.
The SNP shadow home secretary and justice secretary urged the UK Government to prioritise tackling online trolling of politicians during the brief speech.
Cherry said: "In 2017, before the General Election, Amnesty International carried out research into abuse against female MPs.
"The result was the Right Honourable Lady, my honourable friend, the member for Hackney and Stoke Newington [Diane Abbott] was the most abused female MP in the United Kingdom by a country mile.
"I was the second most abused female MP in the UK, although very far behind my right honourable friend who’s had a lot to put up with."
She went on: "The level of abuse which I have continued to receive has taken its toll on me, my girlfriend, my family and my friends, and I really do hope that the Government is going to tackle it in this session."
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle was reassuring and indicated tackling this kind of abuse is important to him.
He replied: "I want to reassure the honourable lady. There should no nobody having to suffer abuse in the way that we’ve seen."
He went on: "I want to make sure that doesn’t happen. I want to try and ensure that your safety … it you are getting abuse, we will ensure the House supports you and we will take people to court. I have done a witness statement on behalf of every MP when we go to court."
Cherry has been outspoken when it comes to online abuse, having been given police protection to her Edinburgh South West constituency surgery last year following a "death threat" on social media.
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