Rupa Huq, the Bangladesh-origin British MP of opposition Labour Party, on Monday received a “malicious” email demanding that she should return to Bangladesh in an attack against her anti-Brexit campaigning.
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into the email received by Huq overnight on Sunday from an email address indicating someone named “John”.
“I suggest you return to Bangladesh to ponder your life if you do not come to your senses over Brexit shortly. You are miserable, stinking, filthy EU whore, not to put too fine a point on it,” the email begins.
It goes on to elaborate that Huq must abandon her campaign for a new referendum, referred to as a People's Vote for the British public to be given another say over the country's membership of the European Union (EU). The email described her support for a second referendum as “anti-democratic rhetoric” and demanded that she should either vote for the government’s deal or not obstruct a no-deal exit from the EU.
It further adds: “In the latter scenario you would, of course, find yourself free to press for whatever you wanted. Otherwise you might potentially be killed in a civil war in which many would die.
“You – and your anti-Brexit types – will be to blame should you persist.”
Huq, an outspoken critic of the Theresa May led government’s Brexit strategy, responded by posting the email up on Twitter and stressing that as a British national, she had been to Bangladesh only on holiday and that too fewer times than a British tourist destination like the Isle of Wight. The UK-born MP for Ealing Central and Acton in London also reiterated that she would not back down from challenging May or campaigning for a second referendum.
“I don't support Theresa May's deal and won't be taking advice on ‘returning’ to somewhere I've only holidayed to (been to Isle of Wight more often),” Huq said.
“Democracy didn't end on 23/6/16 [Brexit referendum], I will continue fight for a People’s Vote so we all have final say,” she noted.
The Metropolitan Police said that it had received a report of the “malicious communication” and that the "contents were being assessed".