Justice Minister Mike Freer has told GB News that an arson attack on his constituency office was the “last straw” as he discussed stepping down as the MP for Finchley & Golders Green.
Freer, who was first elected as an MP for in 2010, last night announced his decision to stand down.
The 63-year-old revealed “serious threats” have weighed heavily on him and his husband Angelo Crolla.
Speaking to GB News' Political Editor Christopher Hope, Freer said: “There comes a point when the level of threats becomes beyond the pale.
Tory MP Mike Freer discussed his decision to step down at the next election with GB News
GB NEWS
“Most MPs have to cope with a level of routine abuse, routine graffiti, that kind of low level stuff.
“Maybe we shouldn't have to deal with it, but it is kind of bread and butter now the way we handle our jobs as MPs.
“But when you've had two or three serious instances, where your life has been threatened - one was a very narrow miss purely by a fluke, I wasn’t in the office - a man that went on to kill David Amess had come to Finchley, the police said he had come armed with the intention to harm me. Luckily, I wasn't in Finchley that day.
“And then the arson attack was simply the last straw. That was on Christmas Eve.”
Freer, who also claimed many MPs now wear stab vests, added: “The level of abuse in the inbox is getting worse.
“The level of threats now on the street are getting worse.
“So it's always at the back of your mind and given that I've had probably more incidents than most, it's always a worry.”
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Mike Freer's constituency office was targeted in an arson attack
MIKE FREER
Freer won over constituents in the North London seat, many of whom previously supported ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in four successive general elections.
He saw off a significant challenge from former Labour MP Luciana Berger who was standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate by just 6,562 votes in 2019.
Labour’s 2024 candidate Sarah Sackman, who stood against Freer in 2015, revealed she was “shocked” by his decision to step down.
She added: “We should have been able to face each other in the polls based on our ideas and merits.
“Instead, politics is now so often skewed by violent language, hate and the dangers of social media.”
A number of Tory MPs have shared their support for Freer, including Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood and former Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Tory MP Mike Freer has said he wears a stab vest when going out in public, just days after his office was targetted by an arson attackPABut Freer received cross-party backing from fellow MPs, with Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael and Labour MP John Cryer publicly condemning the abuse received.
Despite widespread support from MPs, a London Assembly Member was forced to apologise after making a “huge error”.
Labour Assembly Member Anne Clarke appeared to celebrate Freer’s announcement as a step closer to a Tory-free Barnet.
She said: “Just need Theresa [Villiers] for the hat-trick of Barnet Tory MPs.”
Clarke deleted the social media post and later apologised, saying: “Last night I tweeted an insensitive post without having properly read the letter I was referring to.”
She added: “I would never intentionally seek to cause division and upset over such a serious issue as an elected official's personal safety.
“Even when you've been in politics a long time, it's still possible to make mistakes and it was a huge error on my part not to fully read the letter before passing comment.
“I offer my apologies to anyone who was upset by my original post, which I deleted almost straight away. I've also made a private apology to Mike Freer.”
Sir David Amess was among two MPs killed in recent years
GETTY
MPs have become increasingly concerned about political discourse and safety in recent years.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan will not hold an in-person Mayoral People’s Question Time later this month due to safety concerns.
MPs have even been killed in recent years, with Labour's Jo Cox being shot and stabbed by a white supremacist in 2016.
Tory MP Sir David Amess was also stabbed to death at a constituency surgery meeting by an Islamic extremist in 2021.
Labour MPs were recently offered increased security after facing direct threats from constituents over Sir Keir Starmer's stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
The Leader of the Opposition and Conservative Housing Secretary Michael Gove have been among those directly confronted by pro-Palestine protesters in recent weeks.