Former Conservative MP Louise Mensch has been accused of bullying and harassment after using Twitter to call the 17-year-old behind the Milifandom campaign “infantile” and threatening to write about her in her next Sun column.
In the early hours of Monday morning Mensch tweeted at Abby Tomlinson, saying she was showing hypocrisy by stating a formal complaint was being made about the Sun’s treatment of her family.
@twcuddleston and not the Sunday Mirror? Your hypocrisy going full steam then? Apologized for posting the reporter's phone number have you?
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) May 18, 2015
Since then the former Tory MP has sent more than 20 tweets mentioning Tomlinson, including repeated accusations she tried to take credit for starting the Milifandom hashtag and that she deliberately posted a Sun reporter’s phone number on Twitter when tweeting a photo of their business card.
The account of former Labour party deputy leader John Prescott tweeted that Mensch’s behaviour breached the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s code on harassment.
.@IpsoNews @MattTee Sun writer @LouiseMensch's pursuit of @twcuddleston, 17, breaches Code of Practice on harassment pic.twitter.com/IVRo1GoFTS
— John Prescott (@johnprescott) May 19, 2015
Earlier, poverty campaigner and Guardian writer Jack Monroe asked whether Mensch was “still bullying a 17-year-old child?”
Are you still bullying a 17 year old child? On the Internet? My my what a big brave girl you are @LouiseMensch 👏👏👏
— Jack Monroe (@MsJackMonroe) May 18, 2015
According to a tweet sent by Tomlinson, Mensch eventually blocked her on the service later that afternoon.
So after I blocked Mensch 3 weeks ago she's finally blocked me back, printing and framing pic.twitter.com/YnmYzYHumY
— Abby Tomlinson (@twcuddleston) May 19, 2015
Tomlinson has since recorded a video response to Mensch.
Dear Louise Mensch pic.twitter.com/jmsfNIP25f
— Abby Tomlinson (@twcuddleston) May 19, 2015
At the time of going to press, Ipso had not received any complaints about press treatment of Tomlinson’s family.
