In a shocking announcement on Wednesday, Conservative justice minister Mike Freer revealed his decision to step down from politics at the upcoming general election due to a series of death threats and an arson attack on his constituency office last year.
The 63-year-old MP for London’s Finchley and Golders Green, a seat he has held since 2010, cited a relentless wave of threats and ‘intimidation’ as the primary reasons behind his decision. Freer, acknowledging the toll it took on his family’s well-being, stated that he could no longer subject them to the constant anxiety of worrying about his safety.
Detailing the gravity of the situation, Freer disclosed that he narrowly escaped an attempted attack by Ali Harbi Ali, who later tragically killed Southend West MP Sir David Amess. Expressing the severity of the threats, Freer stated, “There comes a point when the threats to your personal safety become too much.”
In a letter addressed to his local Conservative association, Freer expressed the difficulty of stepping down but emphasized that the attacks had weighed heavily on both him and his husband, Angelo. Freer shared that his husband became “incredibly jittery” after discovering that Ali Harbi Ali had visited the constituency office before the fatal incident involving Sir David Amess.
Recounting a twist of fate that potentially saved his life, Freer explained, “I was very lucky that actually on the day I was due to be in Finchley, I happened to change my plans and came into Whitehall.” He continued, “Otherwise who knows whether I would have been attacked or survived an attack. He said he came to Finchley to attack me.”
The Conservative MP, now wearing stab vests during public events based on police advice, pointed to an arson attack on his constituency office last December as the “final straw.” Freer received an email after the incident, threatening him with being “set alight.”
While not identifying as Jewish, Freer believes his strong support for Israel has made him a target for attacks. Representing a constituency with a significant Jewish population, he emphasized the connection between the threats he faced and anti-Semitism.
Despite acknowledging that a certain level of abuse is expected for an MP, Freer expressed that “you shouldn’t really have to think, am I going to survive the day?” His decision to step down follows a decade that witnessed the deaths of both Sir David Amess and Labour MP Jo Cox in their constituencies.
Sarah Sackman, Freer’s Labour opponent, reacted with shock to the news, stating, “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.”
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