Labour MP given police protection after receiving threats blames ‘anger’ over Tory sleaze

Exclusive: ‘This immoral and corrupt behaviour here in Westminster does spill out into our communities and it builds resentment and anger’

A Labour MP has revealed how a man was arrested at Westminster for threatening him and blamed “anger” over allegations of Tory sleaze for the incident.

Andy McDonald has now been given police protection for events in his Middlesbrough constituency, after the man – who was already known to the police – travelled to London demanding to see him.

He said the constituent had previously been in possession of a weapon, making the incident frightening for both him and his family.

It comes after Kathryn Stone, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, received threats from members of the public after a Cabinet minister questioned her role in the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal investigation.

Mr McDonald accused Boris Johnson of “putting people at risk” by trying to rip up Commons anti-sleaze rules to prevent Mr Paterson being punished last week.

“The bottom line is that all of this immoral and corrupt behaviour here in Westminster does spill out into our communities and it builds resentment and anger,” he told The Independent.

“And I know this very well. I’ve had this before, but it happened again with somebody demanding to see me in the most inappropriate way and the police having to be involved.

“Now I am now having to be escorted in my home town by Cleveland police officers to protect me and my staff and my family. That’s how it manifests itself.”

It is understood that the man, who was arrested at Parliament last Thursday, was subsequently released by the police.

The government’s disregard for the rules “goes to the heart of our democracy and basic tenets of the rule of law and totally undermines everything”, Mr McDonald warned.

He called for a ban on MPs having outside jobs, saying: “That’s just wrong, it’s immoral. If £82,000 a year this isn’t good enough, go and get another job.

“And I would also put an end to the House of Lords and this conveyor belt of Tory treasurers buying their place in the Lords in return for £3m. It’s anathema to democracy.”

The criticism follows the revelation that no fewer than 15 Conservative treasurers have been handed peerages, after giving the party at least £3m each.

Speaking in Northumberland – on a visit which means he is missing the Commons debate on sleaze – the prime minister refused to apologise for the lobbying controversy.

Mr Johnson ducked a question about effectively selling peerages to donors and said he would not act on second jobs, which was an “issue” the Commons Speaker should examine.

Asked if, following John Major’s attack on him, he believes “the rules just don’t apply to you”, the prime minister replied: “No, of course not.”

In the Commons, the SNP MP Pete Wishart said he had written to the Metropolitan police, asking the force to investigate whether the Conservative party has broken the 1925 law banning the sale of honours.

The same law as the basis under which Tony Blair’s government was investigated, leading to the arrest of Lord Levy, Mr Blair’s chief fundraiser, but no one was ever charged.

Meanwhile, ministers appeared to rule out allowing MPs a new vote on Tuesday to endorse the commissioner’s report condemning Mr Paterson.

Stephen Barclay, the Cabinet Office minister, said the former minister had resigned after suffering a personal tragedy and that the government wanted to move forward on a cross-party basis.