Angela Rayner has opened up about the psychological effect of receiving death threats, and the impact it has on her family.
The Ashton-under-Lyne MP says she can no longer socialise with friends, and her children need to be escorted on the school pick up and drop off.
The deputy leader of the Labour Party has spoken about receiving abuse and threats ever since she took on the role of MP in 2020, including the threat to “hunt her down” like MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in June 2016.
In an interview with Newscast, Rayner said: “I don’t go out with my friends on a night out.
Rayner with Labour Party leader Keir Starmer
PA
“I don’t publicise if I’m going somewhere before I’m going there. Often it has to be risk assessed and yeah it does have an impact, it is sad.”
Rayner, 43, revealed that she fears for her family being targeted.
She said: “I got death threats to my children as well. They need escorting to and from school now.
“They’re 14 and 15, and we don’t let them walk home from school like every other child would because we’re worried about them.”
Rayner separated from her husband in 2020
PA
An individual called Benjamin Iliffe was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months for sending Angela Rayner a threatening email in October 2021.
The 36-year-old former delivery driver from Cambridgeshire told Rayner “watch your back and your kids”.
Iliffe added: "There's so many people in this country now, after your poster boy murdered an Englishman who are coming after you now c***.
"You were easy to find btw [by the way]. I already found your personal home address."
Rayner has deputised Starmer on many occasion, with Sunak having missed the highest proportion of PMQs of any Prime Minister since 1979
PA
Iliffe’s probation officer said at the time: "He informed me that following the death of Sir David Amess MP, he felt angry at the victim who - he states - described a member of the Conservative Party previously or referred to them as 'scum'.
“He reports that he felt she was making light of the situation and felt angry as a result of this," the officer told the court.
"He stated he wanted to vent, and felt that somebody needed to tell her she was partially responsible for the attack following her use of language.
"When reflecting on this matter he accepted he had expressed himself wrong, and he himself had also used the wrong language in order to communicate his point."
Rayner's Christmas jumper
PA
Iliffe was handed a two-year restraining order which requires him to refrain from contacting Rayner or coming close to her office in Manchester.
Additionally, Iliffe was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitation activity.
Detective Sergeant Christopher Dean of the Greater Manchester Police's Tameside CID said: "I hope this sends a message to those wishing to send threats and abuse online to think again - we will take robust action - people should never live in fear."
Angela Rayner stood in for Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.