Latest news with #MaryGlindon
Spectator
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Labour MP backs Lowe's calls to free Lucy Connolly
The case of Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Tory councillor who was jailed over an offensive tweet, has sparked outrage across the country – and now even a Labour MP is calling for her release. Mary Glindon, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, has put her name to an early day motion tabled by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe which calls for a review of Connolly's sentence to 'ensure that limited prison space is prioritised for dangerous and violent offenders' in a move that breaks ranks with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. How very curious… Remarking on her support for Lowe's motion, Glindon said:
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
First Labour MP calls for mother jailed over Southport tweet to be freed
A Labour MP has become the first in her party to call for a mother jailed for a tweet about the Southport attacks to be freed. Mary Glindon said the 31-month prison sentence handed to Lucy Connolly was 'unduly harsh', and that she did not pose a threat to the public. Connolly, a former childminder, was jailed in October after pleading guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred. She lost an appeal earlier this week. Last July, Connolly posted on X hours after Axel Rudakubana murdered three girls in a knife rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport. She posted: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f---ing hotels full of the b------s for all I care, while you're at it, take the treacherous government politicians with them. I feel physically sick knowing what these [Southport] families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist, so be it.' Connolly deleted the post, which was viewed 310,000 times, less than four hours later. She was arrested on Aug 6 in the wake of nationwide riots. Ms Glindon, the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, has broken ranks with Sir Keir Starmer by signing an early day motion (EDM) drafted by Rupert Lowe, the former Reform UK MP who is now sitting as an independent. The motion 'notes with concern' Connolly's continued imprisonment and calls for prison space to be 'prioritised for dangerous and violent offenders, not young mothers like Lucy Connolly'. Ms Glindon said: 'I simply signed the EDM because I was very upset that Lucy had lost her appeal, and that her young daughter would be without her mother for a longer period. 'In my opinion, Lucy doesn't pose a threat to the public. She seems to be paying a heavy price for what she did.' Ms Glindon said that 'Lucy's impetuous tweet was not only unthinkable but vile in content', before adding: 'Lucy has experienced the pain of losing a child and could be forgiven for a sudden, otherwise unthinkable reaction – one she quickly corrected. 'The judge has been unduly harsh. I can't imagine how this will impact her young daughter. My heart bleeds for her.' Earlier this week, Sir Keir defended the sentence given to Connolly shortly after it emerged that her appeal had been rejected. Asked by Mr Lowe whether Connolly's jailing was an 'efficient or fair use' of prison, the Prime Minister said: 'Sentencing is a matter for our courts, and I celebrate the fact that we have independent courts in this country.' Sir Keir added that while he was 'strongly in favour' of free speech, he was 'equally against incitement to violence against other people'. 'I will always support the action taken by our police and courts to keep our streets and people safe,' he said. Ray Connolly, Lucy's husband, said he was 'heartbroken' that his wife's appeal had not been upheld and claimed the system had sought to make an example of her. Connolly's lawyers had argued that she had not fully understood what she was pleading guilty to. They also accused the original judge of failing to give enough weight to various mitigating factors, including the welfare of her 12-year-old daughter. A Nigerian GP whose daughter was looked after by Connolly has dismissed the suggestion that she is racist, describing her as the 'kindest British person I know'. Dr Hene Enyi said Connolly had gone out of her way to help with her family's application for British citizenship, even providing character references. Dr Enyi said: 'Lucy is simply the loveliest, kindest British person I know. My mum and dad in Nigeria know all about her because I speak about her all the time. 'She was so good to us when we arrived here from Nigeria. She loved my daughter like her own child. We used to joke,'How do you make any money as a childminder?' because she was always buying gifts for the children. 'As well as my daughter, she looked after children from Bangladesh and Pakistan. This is not a racist person who has anything against people from different races. 'She was so kind when we needed a character reference for our citizenship and went out of her way to help us, even driving to our home to drop off the letters we needed.'
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Youth vaping should be controlled through phone app, urges Labour MP
YOUTH vaping should be controlled through a phone app, an MP said last night. Labour's Mary Glindon says the proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill risks falling short by checking only for age at the point of sale. 2 She urges ministers to enforce a digital child-lock that would stop vapes from turning on without age verification in a phone app. Current laws only check age at sale, but teens are still getting e-cigs from shops, online, and a surge of black market products. NHS figures show almost one in 10 secondary school pupils currently vape. Ms Glindon said: 'This Bill risks falling short. "We're running out of time to fix this. It comes as polling by school union NASWUT found 85 per cent of teachers think vaping is a growing problem, while 61 per cent of parents say enforcement isn't working. The Bill already aims to limit flavours and packaging—but Ms Glindon says that won't stop access. She added: 'With schools left dealing with the fallout of a trend that shows no sign of slowing, urgent action is needed to keep vaping products out of the hands of our children. 'Adding age verification at the point of use is a practical, achievable step that makes significant progress towards achieving the goal of a smokefree generation and closing the loopholes that have allowed youth vaping to flourish.' The Bill is currently being debated in the Lords. Disposable vapes could be BANNED under Keir Starmer's plans to crackdown on their use after smoking axed in pub gardens 2
