Man arrested over Rhondda MP Chris Bryant death threat
Written by Gavin on 18th October 2021
A man has been arrested in connection with a death threat being sent to Labour’s Rhondda MP Chris Bryant.
South Wales Police said a 76-year-old from Pontycymer, Bridgend, was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications.
Officers were called at about 16:30pm on 16 October after reports of malicious communications being sent.
Mr Bryant said he got the death threat after calling for people to be kinder following Sir David Amess’s death.
The MP who has represented the Rhondda since 2001 has said he faced abuse every year he has been an MP, adding: “The year before it was anti-vaxxers, the year before we had Brexit campaigners plastering the word ‘traitor’ all over my office.”
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, he said MPs were usually more reluctant to go to police about abuse as the they knew how busy officers were.
He added: “I hope everyone dials down the nastiness in politics. It’s been six years of everyone calling each other traitor. That needs to end, we need to be nicer to each other.
“It’s pretty sour. It’s more sour now than I’ve known it in 20 years.”
Mr Bryant, who is gay, added: “I think it’s women, black and ethnic minority and gay MPs who get the brunt of it, but everybody gets some of this.”