Latest news with #SamRushworth
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
County Durham MP reveals shocking impact of daily online abuse as tormenter jailed
A County Durham MP has exposed the shocking abuse he has received after being subjected to repeated online threats – including one image of him overlaid with a gun's telescopic sight. Sam Rushworth, who was elected for the first time in July 2024, has received extra security during public engagements in the Bishop Auckland constituency. Online abuse has intensified from criticism of Mr Rushworth's political views and voting record to threats to his life and family. He compiled a dossier of evidence revealing the daily abuse and personal attacks he receives from online users, which also resulted in a different person sharing the same name as him being targeted with abuse by rival candidates and activists. A man who threatened to kill the Labour MP said he would firebomb his house or office, and 'lock the doors so I could hear him screaming'. Benjamin Clarke, of Bishop Auckland, was jailed for 18 months at Teesside Crown Court on Monday (May 12). Mr Rushworth and his family became terrified that he would carry out the threats, which also included sinister messages wanting to 'smash his head off a pavement until he dies'. Fearing for his family's safety, he fitted a panic alarm and extra cameras at home. The MP previously voiced his concerns over the abuse in Parliament and said residents and organisations had also been targeted. Clarke's unhealthy obsession with the MP started when he posted a message on Facebook saying: 'I can't wait for your next public appearance, you will be lucky to leave in one piece'. Sam Rushworth exposed messages sent to his social media account by Benjamin Clarke, which were then shared in local Facebook groups (Image: Sam Rushworth MP) The dossier says hate speech and fake news are being promoted and shared on social media platforms, and that local Reform UK activists regularly use misinformation to paint the Labour MP and other political opponents in a negative light to drive anger and hatred towards them. He was accompanied by security during a 2024 Remembrance Sunday service in Bishop Auckland. Shortly after the General Election in July 2024, a social media post falsely claimed Mr Rushworth had moved into a property outside the constituency. In a case of mistaken identity, a different person sharing the same name was reportedly targeted with abuse by rival candidates and activists. Mr Rushworth was also linked to claims that a disused Bishop Auckland tower block, bought by developers to convert it into flats, would be redeveloped to house refugees. The report states: 'Some also tried to tie Sam Rushworth to this imaginary plan, despite the fact he had no role, political or otherwise, in determining such things. This generated significant anger towards Mr Rushworth and the developers. The developers decided, given the public reaction, to withdraw their planned investment in Bishop Auckland and put the building back on the market.' Sam Rushworth exposed messages sent from Facebook groups on posts relating to the MP (Image: Sam Rushworth MP) Speaking after exposing the shocking abuse, Mr Rushworth said: 'It is important to understand Mr Clarke's crimes in the context of the online world in which he forms his views. I am calling on the leadership of Reform UK to ensure those promoting Islamophobia, racism, fake news, and hate are not able to hold office or represent them at local or national elections. 'Robust debate about policies and ideas, and scrutiny of elected representatives, is integral to a healthy democracy, but it is equally important that elected representatives, candidates for office, and all citizens are protected from defamation and abuse. 'While there is nothing wrong with expressing concern about the impact of immigration on the economy, public services, and national security, there should be no place in mainstream politics for racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, or any other forms of prejudice; and any political party which stands candidates for local or national elections should uphold British values of tolerance and respect. 'All political parties will sometimes have activists, candidates, and elected representatives whose conduct falls short of what is acceptable. To maintain standards in public life it is important that when evidence of wrongdoing comes to light it is properly investigated and appropriate actions are taken.' Concerns over the safety of MPs were in the spotlight once again earlier this month, when Katie Amess, the widow of murdered MP David Amess, said it 'is imperative that individuals and groups are held accountable for their words and actions that incite violence and hatred'. The comments came after footage emerged from a gig allegedly showing a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.' Lucy Powell, Leader of the House of Commons, previously urged Reform UK officials to 'take action against those thugs because we need to defend democracy and our elected representatives at all costs'. Man who threatened to kill the Bishop Auckland MP jailed County Durham MPs among 42 rebels refusing to back 'unacceptable' welfare cuts Sam Rushworth MP criticises school trust's CEO pay Durham Police Superintendent Neal Bickford, who has responsibility for MPs' security in the county, said: 'In a democratic society, elected officials must be able to serve the public without fear for their lives or the safety of their families. 'Recent threats to MPs represent not only a danger to individual representatives, but a broader threat to the integrity of our democratic institutions.' A Reform UK spokesman said: 'We of course condemn all threats of violence in politics. However, we will take no lessons from a Labour Party who appointed a Deputy Prime Minister that branded her political opponents as 'scum' and currently has an MP under investigation for rape and child abuse.'
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
‘Fixated' constituent jailed for making threats to kill MP
An 'obsessed' constituent who made repeated threats to kill his MP and harm his wife has been jailed for 18 months. Benjamin Clarke was branded 'dangerous' by Mr Justice Cotter after he said he wanted to 'firebomb' Bishop Auckland Labour MP Sam Rushworth, among other serious threats. Clarke will serve an extra 18 months of supervision once released after the judge heard that the 32-year-old continues to harbour violent thoughts about the politician. Clarke, of Durham Street, Bishop Auckland, contacted his MP in August on social media, saying: 'I cannot wait until your next public appearance, you will be lucky to leave it in one piece.' Mr Rushworth contacted police and blocked his constituent on social media. Clarke told a mental health practitioner the following month that, if he could find Mr Rushworth, he would 'smash his head off the pavement until he dies' and that he would firebomb his house or office, and 'lock the doors so I could hear him screaming'. Asked if Clarke meant what he said, he told the health worker: 'I'm going to do it, it's just a matter of time.' Clarke, who was charged with a malicious communication offence and making a threat to kill, admitted the charges in December, and was granted bail. In February, he contacted the emergency services saying he was suicidal and told a paramedic the MP had ruined his life, that he wanted to burn down his house, and if Mr Rushworth's wife was there he would harm her too, but not the couple's children. The paramedic was so concerned that he contacted his management and the police were called. Sue Hurst, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that Clarke clarified to officers: 'I didn't say I was going to kill him, I said I wanted to kill him.' In a victim statement read out to the court by Ms Hurst, Mr Rushworth said he has had to step up his personal safety, including fitting a panic alarm and extra cameras at home. The MP, first elected last year, said: 'He has repeated on multiple occasions his intent to kill me and harm my family. 'I do not know whether he is capable of carrying out his threats, but it has become increasingly apparent that he is obsessed with me and harbours a strong and irrational hatred. 'Living with that uncertainty has caused stress and worry to my family, especially my children, who feel less secure in their own home.' Mr Rushworth said he bears no ill-will towards Clarke, describing him as mentally unwell. Tom Bennett, defending, said Clarke has had 'significant' involvement with mental health services for years and that will continue after his release from prison. Mr Bennett said Clarke had no intention of acting upon the threats he made. Clarke admitted two counts of making threats to kill – once when he was on bail – and a malicious communications offence. Mr Justice Cotter, who said Clarke was a cannabis smoker and drank up to one-and-a-half litres of vodka a day, described him as being 'fixated' on the MP. The judge deemed Clarke dangerous after hearing that he continued to make threats about his MP while on remand awaiting sentence. Mr Justice Cotter referred to the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, adding: 'No MP should ever face personal threats, harassment or intimidation.' The judge imposed a restraining order preventing Clarke from contacting Mr Rushworth or his wife and children, from commenting about them on social media, or from attending his home address or places where he works. The judge told him: 'The future is in your hands, you are an intelligent man. 'You have time to reflect upon what has happened.'
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Bishop Auckland man jailed for threats to murder MP Sam Rushworth
A man who made repeated "vile" threats to murder his MP has been jailed for one and a half Clarke, 31, bombarded Sam Rushworth with abuse online before threatening to burn the Bishop Auckland MP's house down with the Labour politician inside, Teesside Crown Court Rushworth said he initially wanted his tormentor to get help for his obvious mental health issues but, fearing Clarke's ongoing "hatred" and the recent killings of other MPs, had had to boost his and his family's been deemed "dangerous", Clarke, who admitted making threats to kill and sending offensive communications, will also have to serve a further 18 months on extended licence. Clarke first contacted Mr Rushworth, who had been elected in the 2024 general election, on Facebook in the aftermath of the riots following the murder of three girls in Southport, prosecutor Susan Hurst on 1 August, Clarke sent direct messages to the MP calling him abusive terms and blaming Mr Rushworth and the government for the violence, the court heard. Clarke, of Durham Street in Bishop Auckland, escalated to threats, telling Mr Rushworth: "I can't wait until your next public appearance, you'll be lucky to leave in one piece."The MP reported the threat to Durham Police but asked officers to visit Clarke and give him a warning rather than prosecute him, the court the abusive comments about Mr Rushworth did not stop and on 17 September, Clarke told a social worker he would "smash [the MP's] head off the pavement until he dies," adding he would firebomb Mr Rushworth's office or home and block the doors so he could stand outside and hear his victim's screams, the court if he actually meant to carry out the threats, Clarke said he was "going to do it and it's just a matter of time", the court heard. The social worker reported the comments to police and Clarke was arrested, telling officers he had received no support for his mental health issues and it was the "political landscape where he lives which was causing him concern", Ms Hurst told police he had no political allegiances but had a "personal grievance" against Mr Rushworth, before adding he had not intended to cause any harm and his comments were because he was "desperate for help".Having been released on bail, on 27 February Clarke called emergency services to report he was having thoughts of suicide and self-harm, Ms Hurst paramedics tried to help him, Clarke told them Mr Rushworth had "ruined his life", said he "could kill" the MP and mentioned burning down his said he would harm Mr Rushworth's wife as well and showed "considerable knowledge" about the MP's home life, Ms Hurst said. In his ongoing "diatribe", Clarke said if he was sent to prison he would kill the MP and then himself, the court comments were reported to police and Clarke was arrested again, making no comment in his interviews. In a statement read to the court, Mr Rushworth said he did not know whether Clarke was "capable" of following through on the threats but it was apparent he had a "strong and irrational hatred" for the Rushworth said he bore "no ill will" towards Clarke, adding: "I have tried at every step to balance the needs for security with compassion for a man I deem to be mentally unwell."But, Mr Rushworth added, Clarke had seemed to "double down" on his hatred and it had become "increasingly clear" he "had a fixation to kill me for reasons only he knows".He said he had had to boost security at his home and his wife and children had been majorly affected by the Rushworth said he liked to be open and accessible to people, regularly holding meetings with constituents and attending events, but, in light of the murders of MPs such as Jo Cox and David Amess, he had to have have security guards with him. 'Democracy would be eroded' Mr Justice Cotter said Clarke's "vitriolic" messages and threats were "vile", with Clarke "obsessed with killing" Mr Rushworth causing the MP and his family "very serious harm".The judge condemned people online who had "approved" Clarke's criminality and made "highly inappropriate comments" on his hate-filled Facebook posts about the Justice Cotter said legitimate criticism of politicians was an important part of society but "no MP should ever face personal threats, harassment or intimidation", adding the "democracy of this country would be eroded" if people felt unable to work in the "vital public roles".The judge said Clarke was "dangerous" and had "entrenched views" in which he blamed others for his own problems and the country's issues, which he "viewed through a racist lens".A restraining order banning Clarke from contacting the MP or his family, or making any reference to them on social media, was made to last Clarke need to contact an MP in future, he would have to clear it with the court first, the judge said. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Labour backbenchers call for ‘meaningful tweaks' to farm inheritance tax plan
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has faced calls for 'meaningful tweaks' to planned inheritance tax on farmland from Labour MPs. Sam Rushworth said that farmers who work a £5 million estate are 'not millionaires', while Julia Buckley said sector businesses currently face a choice to 'go big or go bust'. Conservative former Scottish secretary David Mundell warned that under plans to impose inheritance tax on agricultural property worth more than £1 million, farmers' children will sell their land to private equity firms to cover the bill, and estates would instead be used for solar panels or industrial tree planting. They made their comments during a debate about a House of Commons petition which called on Treasury ministers to carry on with a 100% relief from inheritance tax covering agricultural property. The discussion began just minutes after the petition gathered its 150,000th signature, and while farmers lined Whitehall and Parliament Square outside the Palace of Westminster, blasting their horns to the tune of Old MacDonald Had A Farm and Europe's number-one hit The Final Countdown. Mr Rushworth told MPs: 'If you inherit a £5 million farm, you're not a millionaire, you're the custodian of agricultural land with the responsibility to farm it to produce food for the nation.' The MP for Bishop Auckland suggested the previous government could have better supported 'things like trade deals, supply chains, flood defences and on crime', adding: 'They want to stop billionaires, to quote The Telegraph, from hoovering up agricultural land which they know is pushing up land prices. 'And they even support the principle of paying tax and raising revenue for the Treasury, because they know that Treasury revenue is necessary to improve the NHS and to improve schools in their communities, as well as a strong agricultural budget. 'But they are asking, and they're not asking, by the way, for a full U-turn, but they are asking for some meaningful tweaks that will help the policy to better target the goals that it intends to achieve.' He said that the £1 million threshold, with inheritance tax applied at a rate of 20% above on land worth more than this from April 2026, 'is quite low'. Ms Buckley said: 'My farmers in my Shrewsbury constituency have told me that for many years now, they've struggled to make a profit. 'Indeed, they say the only game in town is to go big or go bust, in other words, 12,000 small farmers have gone under because over the last decade, it's not been a profitable business. 'And they say to me that they're ready to make some of these behavioural changes to pass the asset down to the next generation, so it can be profitable and sustainable and environmentally friendly, because that next generation have just come out of agricultural college and learned all these new techniques.' David Smith, the Labour MP for North Northumberland, said that few farms in his constituency would fall below the £1 million threshold and be exempted from the tax. 'The value of the land is often not bearing a relation to the limited cashflow or profit that is being made,' he said, adding that 'raising the threshold would provide instant peace of mind to family farmers'. Mr Smith also suggested an 'active farmer test' using Government data to 'judge if the land is being put to public use', and proposed a 'clawback' system so the Treasury could charge for the relief if a farmer's beneficiary sells the land within a short period of time after a death. Mr Mundell warned farms 'will not be sold to new family farmers'. He continued: 'They will be sold to these very private equity firms who want not to produce food on our land, but want to actually maximise other tax benefits that they can do under carbon offset and other environmental tax benefits that they get. 'And in addition to that, they don't employ anyone.' Turning to the issue of tax planning, Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke warned some older farmers might find it difficult to swerve an expensive bill by putting in place 'the transitional restructure to their affairs', for example, by gifting property to their heirs more than seven years before they die. The MP for Glastonbury and Somerton sighed after she told MPs: 'The stress this is putting on those families, I myself am from a farming family. 'My mother is 81, my father died just about a year ago. 'The pressure this is putting on her to think whether she can survive another seven years is so distressing and I know she is not alone.' Conservative shadow environment minister Robbie Moore described the policy as 'purposefully vindictive', adding: 'The Government's actual intent is to send a strong message out to our farmers that they are not needed, that they do not matter, that they do not play a vital part in our national agenda.' Responding, Treasury minister James Murray warned the current inheritance tax exemption for farmers is 'skewed towards the wealthiest estates', with 117 estates claiming £219 million of relief according to the latest Government data. He said: 'What has driven the Government in making the decision to reform agricultural and business property relief is the overwhelming priority of fixing the public finances whilst doing so in a way that is fair and sustainable.' Mr Murray added the Government had committed £5 billion to farming over the next two years, £60 million to help farmers affected by wet weather last year, and £2.4 billion over two years to help rebuild 'crumbling flood defences'. He recalled 'media speculation' before last October's budget that the Government might axe the reliefs altogether, and said the Treasury had considered representations from the farming sector 'in reaction to that speculation'.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Labour backbenchers call for ‘meaningful tweaks' to farm inheritance tax plan
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has faced calls for 'meaningful tweaks' to planned inheritance tax on farmland from Labour backbenchers. Sam Rushworth said that farmers who work a £5 million estate are 'not millionaires', while Julia Buckley said sector businesses currently face a choice to 'go big or go bust'. Conservative former Scottish secretary David Mundell warned that under plans to impose inheritance tax on agricultural property worth more than £1 million, farmers' children will sell their land to private equity firms to cover the bill, and estates would instead be used for solar panels or industrial tree planting. They made their comments during a debate about a House of Commons petition which called on Treasury ministers to carry on with a 100% relief from inheritance tax covering agricultural property. The discussion began just minutes after the petition gathered its 150,000th signature, and while farmers lined Whitehall and Parliament Square outside the Palace of Westminster, blasting their horns to the tune of Old MacDonald Had A Farm and Europe's number-one hit The Final Countdown. Mr Rushworth told MPs: 'If you inherit a £5 million farm, you're not a millionaire, you're the custodian of agricultural land with the responsibility to farm it to produce food for the nation.' The MP for Bishop Auckland said that 'there was more that could have been done by the previous government on things like trade deals, supply chains, flood defences and on crime', adding: 'They have no problem with the principle, with the principle that we should be closing tax loopholes. 'They want to stop billionaires, to quote The Telegraph, from hoovering up agricultural land which they know is pushing up land prices. 'And they even support the principle of paying tax and raising revenue for the Treasury, because they know that Treasury revenue is necessary to improve the NHS and to improve schools in their communities, as well as a strong agricultural budget. 'But they are asking, and they're not asking, by the way, for a full U-turn, but they are asking for some meaningful tweaks that will help the policy to better target the goals that it intends to achieve.' He said that the £1 million threshold, with inheritance tax applied at a rate of 20% above on land worth more than this from April 2026, 'is quite low'. Ms Buckley said: 'My farmers in my Shrewsbury constituency have told me that for many years now, they've struggled to make a profit. 'Indeed, they say the only game in town is to go big or go bust, in other words, 12,000 small farmers have gone under because over the last decade, it's not been a profitable business. 'And they say to me that they're ready to make some of these behavioural changes to pass the asset down to the next generation, so it can be profitable and sustainable and environmentally friendly, because that next generation have just come out of agricultural college and learned all these new techniques.' David Smith, the Labour MP for North Northumberland, said that few farms in his constituency would fall below the £1 million threshold and be exempted from the tax. 'The value of the land is often not bearing a relation to the limited cashflow or profit that is being made,' he said, adding that 'raising the threshold would provide instant peace of mind to family farmers'. Mr Smith also suggested an 'active farmer test' using Government data to 'judge if the land is being put to public use', and proposed a 'clawback' system so the Treasury could charge for the relief if a farmer's beneficiary sells the land within a short period of time after a death. Mr Mundell said: 'If we go down the route of requiring farms to be sold to meet inheritance tax demands, farms will not be sold to new family farmers. 'They will not be sold to new entrants. They will be sold to these very private equity firms who want not to produce food on our land, but want to actually maximise other tax benefits that they can do under carbon offset and other environmental tax benefits that they get. 'And in addition to that, they don't employ anyone.' Conservative former minister Damian Hinds said it is 'not too late for this minister, for this Government to change their minds, to make significant changes'. He said: 'There's no shame in it and I urge them to do so.'
