Chris Clarkson receives "homophobic abuse and death threats" after Labour MP's comments

Chris Clarkson, the Conservative MP for Heywood and Middleton, says he was hit with “homophobic abuse” and death threats after a Labour MP said he “should be ashamed to defend this government” in a debate on government confidence on Monday (18 July).

Mr Bryant’s comments came after Mr Clarkson said he would be speaking in favour of confidence in the government. Both MPs are members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Outlining reasons why he doesn’t have confidence in the government, Mr Bryant said: “They deliberately drive wedges between people over gender identity and trans rights, and ignore the fact that their own Equalities Minister resigned because he thought the government were creating a hostile environment for LGBT people, which is why the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton (Chris Clarkson) should be ashamed to defend this Government.”

Mr Clarkson says that after this exchange, he was inundated with hateful messages after “Chris Bryant mentioned my sexuality.”

He told the House of Commons on Wednesday (20 July): “All too predictably, the next morning, my inbox was full of the vilest, most threatening and homophobic abuse possible. It specifically referenced the hon. Gentleman and support for what he said.

“This is not my first experience of senior Members of the Labour party dishing out abuse, and of my having to live with the consequences. 

Mr Clarkson then called on deputy speaker Eleanor Laing to ensure MPs are “mindful of the consequences of the language they use in the chamber.”

Dame Laing said: “It is unacceptable and extremely concerning that the hon. Gentleman has had death threats; it is a dreadful situation.

“All Members should employ good temper and moderation at all times, no matter how strongly they feel about the matter under debate.”

Mr Bryant later said: “The hon. Member said that I had referred to his sexuality in the debate on Monday.

“I would never, ever do so; and as Hansard records, I did not do so. That is simply untrue. I very much hope that the hon. Member will withdraw that allegation.

“I certainly do think that there are problems relating to the way in which the Government have created a hostile environment for LGBT people in this country. I am simply citing the former Government Equalities Minister, the hon. Member for Finchley and Golders Green (Mike Freer), who said so himself when he resigned. That was the only point that I was making.

I, of course, wholly abhor and hate the idea that anybody, as a result of anything I might say either in this Chamber or anywhere else, might have death threats addressed towards them.

“I have had plenty myself and have had the police at my house this week, so I wholly deplore that idea. If there is any sense in which the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton has felt antagonised and that that has been brought on by anything I have said, I apologise, but I would say that I did not say what he said I did; I simply quoted the former Conservative Government Equalities Minister, who, when he resigned, said that he was doing so because the Government were creating a hostile environment for LGBT people in this country.”