A government minister has announced his decision not to seek reelection, primarily over a series of death threats from Islamic extremist groups and a recent arson attack on his constituency office.
Conservative justice minister Mike Freer, who has represented London’s Finchley and Golders Green since 2010, highlighted a harrowing experience in which he narrowly escaped an attack by Ali Harbi Ali, the perpetrator who later murdered Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West.
In an interview with the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Mr. Freer said, “There comes a point when the threats to your personal safety become too much.”
In a resignation letter to his local Conservative chairman on Wednesday, Mr. Freer described the decision not to seek reelection as “an enormous wrench.”
Ali had observed Mr. Freer’s office in Finchley, intending to attack him, before ultimately killing Sir David in 2021. This close call and subsequent threats, including from the group Muslims Against Crusades and the discovery of mock Molotov cocktails at his office, left a lasting impact on Mr. Freer and his staff, prompting them to wear stab vests at public events.
An arson attack on Mr. Freer’s office in December was cited as “the final straw,” reinforcing his decision to step down.
MP Calls More Prosecution of Anti-Semitism
In a Commons session on Thursday, Conservative MP Bob Blackman called for more effective prosecution of anti-Semitism, prompted by Mr. Freer’s resignation.“It appears that almost every week ... we’re seeing hate-filled demonstrations with anti-Semitism rife yet no action seems to be taken,” he stated, urging the attorney general to ensure the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) addresses the issue.
In response, Attorney General Victoria Prentis assured collaboration with the CPS and police, highlighting ongoing efforts and a “large number of prosecutions” following a surge in anti-Semitic crimes.
The speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, told ITV on Thursday: “We [politicians] all get death threats, but Mike really has been targeted. Thankfully, he is here to tell the story but I am really saddened that he has felt he had to stand down.”
Sir Lindsay added: “Politicians want to do the right thing by their constituents, by the country, but we have others who all the time are trying to stop people carrying out the job they were elected to do. It is not acceptable.
Situation ‘Shocking and Reprehensible’
David Moore, senior political analyst at the conservative Orthodox Conservatives Group think tank, told The Epoch Times: “It is shocking and reprehensible that an elected member of the House of Commons has been coerced out of office by Islamist extremists who hate our freedoms and values.“In our own streets we have an MP with a thousands strong mandate fearing for his own and his partner’s life as a result of such actions. Wearing stab vests in surgeries was clearly not enough protection for Mr. Freer.
“Sir David Amess was martyred for his beliefs in our freedoms and love of God and country, a recent memory in this tragic series of events. Therefore it is vital we tackle extremism in its forms who seek to undermine our democratic system through fear and coercion. Democratic values are on the retreat worldwide and only through strength can we stand up to those who hate our way of life.”
The CEO of grassroots conservative action group Turning Point UK, Jack Ross, told The Epoch Times: “It’s disgraceful that extreme elements in this country are able to bully and intimidate politicians with impunity. Extremists should not be welcome in Britain and should be made to feel the full extent of the law.”
