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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Nicola Bartlett

Dominic Cummings tells MP he should vote for Brexit deal to stop death threats

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser  Dominic Cummings  has told a Labour MP who complained about death threats that he should vote for a Brexit deal.

Labour's Karl Turner confronted Boris Johnson's chief advisor in parliament over the PM's use of language

Shadow transport minister bumped into Mr Cummings in a chance meeting in Portcullis House in the House of Commons on Thursday.

He told the advisor how he had received a chilling message on Facebook that he should be “in a ditch” echoing the PM's comments that he would rather “be dead in a ditch” than delay Brexit.

In response to Turner’s complaint, the Downing Street adviser said: “Get Brexit done.”

(BBC)

The MP then approached Mr Cummings to say “Don’t tell me to get Brexit done!”

He said he would vote for a deal if there was a credible one on offer.

As the shadow minister walked away, the PM’s adviser said “Who are you?”, to which Turner replied “I'm an MP”.

The discussion became heated (BBC)

It came on the same day that a man was arrested for trying to get into Labour MP Jess Phillips's constituency office .

Her staff members had to be locked inside after the man began banging on the windows and shouting "fascist".

The chance meeting happened in the House of Commons (PA)

It comes after a death threat was delivered to the same office quoting Boris Johnson's "dead in a ditch" line.

Ms Phillips told Sky she was "not going to leap to blame Boris Johnson " but added that "we all need to be better" and the prime minister needs to "choose instead of trying to divide... to lead".

She confirmed to the the Mirror that the man had tried to break in and she told LBC: "My staff had to be locked into my office while a man tried to smash the windows and kick the door, I believe. I don’t know.

Karl Turner decided to confront Cummings (BBC)

"I don’t know what I can say because the man has been arrested, but he was shouting that I was a fascist, apparently."

West Midlands confirmed the arrest in a statement.

A spokeswoman said: "Police were called to reports of a disturbance outside an address on Yardley Road in Acocks Green, Birmingham just before 2.25pm this afternoon (26 September).

"A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of cannabis. He’s been taken into police custody and will be questioned in due course."

The angry confrontation took place this afternoon (BBC)

Jeremy Corbyn tweeted his concerns saying: "On the day Boris Johnson refused to apologise for his inflammatory language, someone has been arrested trying to enter Jess Phillips's office.

"When an MP can’t do their job and represent their community due to threats to their safety it’s the people, and democracy, that suffers.

It comes after Mr Johnson provoked a furious response by telling MPs they should honour the memory of murdered parliamentarian Jo Cox by delivering Brexit .  

There was uproar in the Commons as the Prime Minister repeatedly berated MPs, rejected calls to temper his language and said the best way to honour Mrs Cox - an ardent Remainer - was to "get Brexit done".

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