Poots warns Britain could face civil unrest as abuse of politicians rises

Edwin Poots, the speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, warned that the current political climate in Great Britain could turn ugly and lead to someone getting hurt. He spoke after chairing a meeting between elected representatives, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and electoral authorities convened to address abuse directed toward politicians.

'I think we are in quite a rebellious society in this moment in time and we are in quite a divided society,' Poots told BBC News NI, noting changing cultural dynamics and the risk that street protests could inflame into violence and become sectarianised. 'There are real big problems out there where people are deeply fired up about things. The consequence is some people may take action that could lead to someone else being hurt.' He added that social media is a powerful tool that can fuel abuse, though it is an 'amazing invention' when used properly. 'Guns don’t shoot people, people pull the trigger. Knives don’t stab people. It is the intent of the people who go on to social media,' he said, calling on platforms to do more to mitigate abuse to prevent harm.

New PSNI figures, shared with BBC’s The View, show that one in four MLAs have been the victim of some form of abuse since the last assembly election. Police strongly suspect that figure is only the tip of the iceberg. In March, Stormont politicians told BBC News NI about death and rape threats directed at them and their children. Ch Supt Stephen Murray encouraged politicians to report suspicious incidents or concerns to the police, saying it is a worrying reality that MLAs and their staff are routinely the subject of unacceptable abuse, threats and other criminality. 'MLAs have been harassed or had their offices damaged but the majority of offences reported to us – 77% - are related to communications. These are threatening and abusive emails, social media messages, phone calls and letters. There is a significant 'cyber-enabled' element to much of this criminality,' he added. 'When an MLA is the victim of a crime this is treated with the utmost seriousness and we will robustly investigate any offences reported to us.'

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly was subjected to threatening online messages.

There’s more on this story on BBC The View on Thursday at 22:40 BST on BBC One Northern Ireland and iPlayer, as politicians and officials discuss the rising tide of intimidation and the steps being taken to protect public figures and the institutions they serve.

The meeting with the PSNI and electoral authorities underscores the ongoing effort among lawmakers, law enforcement, and electoral bodies to address abuse directed at politicians and to safeguard the democratic process in the face of intimidating conduct.