MP praises CST after it alerts him to online death threats
Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer MP tweets: "Thanks to Community Security Trust for bringing this to my attention,and doing your bit to look after brilliant Jewish colleagues like Ruth Smeeth'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Conservative MP Johnny Mercer has praised the Community Security Trust (CST) after it alerted both him and the police to sickening death threats on social media.
The former veterans minister, and MP for Plymouth Moor View was targeted with threats including a message reading, “The next dead MP?” posted by individual who objected to reports that Mercer had offered employment to an Afghan interpreter in his office.
Screenshots also showed the comment, “Until politicians are dragged out of their homes and butchered, things won’t change. Until that happens they will continue to take the piss. They’ve made it that way, not us.”
The same individual, who is believed to live locally to the MP and former British army officer, had also posted antisemitic messages about “globalists” and another suggesting the “little Jew needs skinning alive.”
Mercer later pointed out on social media he is not himself Jewish.
Jewish News understands that CST researchers had been doing general work on protecting the Jewish community when they came across the threats directed at Mercer.
A few weeks ago they had foiled a potential extremist plot in New York, and it is the second time this year CST have discovered a threat to a UK MP.
They communal charity conduct such work on a confidential basis, but have confirmed their involvement in the Mercer incident, after the MP made the threats against him public on Monday.
As @JohnnyMercerUK says, this thread relates to a series of vicious threats against him that CST researchers found in the course of our work, which we reported to police and to Johnny Mercer's office. Extremism feeds antisemitism and endangers democracy – it is all one fight. https://t.co/vgGrSS6jXt
— CST (@CST_UK) December 12, 2022
In further threatening posts directed at Mercer, the individual claimed to have done “recce’s” of the MPs home, as well as encouraging others to “lynch” him.
Sharing the posts himself Mercer tweeted:”People should know the price of being an MP.”
He added: “Thanks to the Community Security Trust for bringing this to my attention, and doing your bit to look after brilliant Jewish colleagues like Ruth Smeeth.
“Think before you do things like this. We all have families – and for the record, colleagues get far worse.”
On the specific threats to himself, he wrote:”This all from one guy, in Plymouth. Threatens to kill me, skin me in salt (bit specific), has done recce’s of my home and encourages others to ‘lynch’ me.”
CST later tweeted: “As Johnny Mercer says, this thread relates to a series of vicious threats against him that CST researchers found in the course of our work, which we reported to police and to Johnny Mercer’s office.
“Extremism feeds antisemitism and endangers democracy – it is all one fight.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
