Nigel Farage warned of “political sectarianism” in Britain after a Tory MP was targeted by pro-Palestine protesters at his family home.
More than 60 demonstrators gathered outside Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood’s house yesterday demanding a Gaza ceasefire.
The former Ukip leader said the incident shows “we have to think again even more seriously” about the safety of MPs.
He said if more is not done, strong candidates could be put off standing for Parliament.
Speaking on his GB News show, Mr Farage said: “I am worried about this. Yes of course we’ve always had a history in this country of political protest and MPs have to be big enough and ugly enough to take it with a stick and that’s fine.
“But I think what we’re seeing here, and I’ve said it before in other contexts, I think for the first time in our lifetimes we’re beginning to see political sectarianism in England.
“We’ve seen it in Northern Ireland, we know the baleful consequences that it can have.
“And that says to me that we have to think again even more seriously about the safety of MPs.
“If we don’t my real fear is that a lot of very good people simply will not put themselves forward.”
Mr Ellwood said it “cannot be fair game” to target politicians after the demonstration outside his home on Tuesday.
The former minister and his family were not at the Dorset property at the time after police warned him to keep away.
Mr Ellwood told the BBC: “All MPs expect criticism from time to time, it comes with the territory, but the bar of acceptable treatment is falling.
“Advertising the private address, to mobilise an aggressive, intimidating rally at an MP’s residential property, impacting not just on the family but also neighbours as well, for me is a step too far.
“This cannot be normalised in any way… democracy clearly is not in a good place if this becomes the norm.”
