SNP members get vast majority of online abuse of MSPs
The scale of online abuse directed at Holyrood politicians is revealed in a report released by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), which claims it is 'readily apparent and growing'.
Between June 2023 and March 2025, more than 31,600 abusive messages sent to MSPs on social media were logged.
The vast majority – 22,370 – were directed at members of the SNP, followed by Scottish Labour (4,432) and the Scottish Conservatives (2,480). Scottish Green MSPs reported 1,440 abusive posts, the Liberal Democrats 843 and independents 52.
Of these, 718 were deemed to potentially breach criminal thresholds and were referred to Police Scotland. In one case, it led to court action and a prosecution. The report states that another prosecution is in progress.
'Sobering' results
The monitoring period includes a pilot project of the SPCB's online threat managing service for MSPs, which started in June 2023 and produced 'sobering' results, according to Lynsey Hamill, director of operations and digital at the Scottish Parliament.
The service continues to deliver early warning of potential online threats for 69 MSPs – 33 of whom are female – who are currently signed up.
The data also show that gender-based abusive posts went from seven in 2023-24 to 886 in 2024-25.
However, the significant rise is claimed to be due to the improved recognition of misogynistic content directed at female members.
Ms Hamill added: 'We can see the scale of online abuse of MSPs is now readily apparent and growing. This chimes with feedback we have had from members for some time now.'
The SPCB initiated a review of personal security provision for MSPs and staff following the death of David Amess, the former MP for Southend West who was stabbed multiple times at a constituency surgery at a church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 2021.
'Rising threat level'
The review led to more than 250 portable alarms issued to MSPs and their staff, £125,000 committed to make permanent the online threat managing service for up to 80 MSPs and 108 local offices being surveyed by Police Scotland.
Security improvements were implemented on their recommendations and all MSPs were offered home residence surveys by Police Scotland.
A Scottish Parliament spokesman said: 'The SPCB is acutely aware of the rising level of threat against elected representatives. Last year, the SPCB invested £125,000 to make permanent its online threat managing service.
'Under the service, potentially criminal threats are identified by the Parliament's security team and escalated to Police Scotland for its action.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
22 minutes ago
- Scotsman
SNP under fire for 'glacial progress' as cladding investigations progress revealed
Opponents have accused the SNP of lagging behind cladding progress in England Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... SNP ministers have been criticised for 'glacial progress' after it was revealed that only three of the estimated 1,450 buildings that might require cladding work in Scotland have been assessed. Following the Grenfell disaster, governments have been pressured to ensure that buildings are safe, particularly due to concerns over cladding brought on by the Grenfell disaster. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Grenfell Tower New statistics published by the Scottish Government have revealed that out of an estimated 1,450 buildings that may require work to remove cladding, just three have been fully assessed under Scotland's cladding remediation programme. Remediation work has only been completed on a mere 0.2 per cent of potentially affected buildings. The data revealed that another 12 single building assessments (SBAs), which assess any risk to life as a result of cladding, are currently underway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Only two buildings across Scotland currently have active remediation work being undertaken. The Scottish Government defines a 'single building assessment' as one which 'results in a report on any risk to human life that is (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by a building's external wall cladding system', and 'what work (if any) is needed to eliminate or mitigate the risk'. The statistics have come despite the Scottish Government scheme having already received 600 expressions of interest from those responsible for potentially impacted buildings. The expressions of interest have been submitted for buildings in 18 of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland, with the largest proportion relating to buildings in Glasgow. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This lack of progress contrasts with the situation south of the Border, where 2,490 buildings identified with unsafe cladding have started or completed remediation works, representing 48 per cent of buildings within the programme. In England, there is a target to complete the remediation of high-rise buildings by 2029 and for mid-rise buildings to have either been completely remediated by the date, or to have a plan in place with a date set for completion. In Scotland, no such target exists. The Scottish Liberal Democrats have claimed there is 'no excuse' for slow progress after the Grenfell tragedy eight years ago. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson, Willie Rennie, has warned that there are 'no excuses' for the SNP making slow progress on removing dangerous cladding. Willie Rennie Mr Rennie said: 'In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster, there can be no excuses for making such glacial progress, but this SNP government continues to blunder their way through in slow motion. 'This is an issue where Scotland simply cannot afford to fall behind; by moving so sluggishly with the necessary building works, the SNP government are only increasing the risks to peoples' lives. 'That's why I am imploring ministers to urgently step up the pace in fixing at-risk buildings and keep homeowners, residents and local authorities informed on developments.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The Scottish Government has introduced legislation mandating the use of fire-suppression systems in new-build multi-occupancy properties over 18 metres; introduced regulations prohibiting the use of combustible cladding materials on high-medium risk buildings; and introduced regulations requiring the installation of interlinked smoke alarms in all properties. 'We committed to addressing unsafe cladding and the wider system failures that allowed these risks to go unchallenged. That commitment is now underpinned by law through the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which took effect in January 2025. 'We are moving at pace to support the identification, assessment, mitigation and remediation of buildings affected by unsafe cladding. Where risks are identified and require immediate intervention, we will take appropriate action because protecting lives is our top priority and cannot wait. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
22 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Rachel Reeves: John Swinney SNP independence push playing from 'same tired old playbook'
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Chancellor Rachel Reeves has blasted John Swinney's latest independence push as playing from 'the same old playbook'. The chancellor also criticised the SNP's tax policy and appeared to suggest the UK Government will not make further pushes to lower US tariffs on Scotch whisky. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves made the comments during a visit to RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, where she highlighted the UK Government's recent investments in defence and clean energy. Chancellor Rachel Reeves | Jane Barlow/Press Association This comes after the First Minister defended his strategy of a majority of SNP MSPs elected at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election as a mandate for a second independence referendum. Speaking to The Scotsman on the RAF Lossiemouth airfield, Ms Reeves said: 'It's just the same old playbook from the SNP. 'They want to talk about the past and the referendum of a decade ago, and we want to move forward and seize the huge opportunities. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'd rather hear John Swinney talking about how he's going to back jobs in Scotland, how he is going to reduce NHS waiting lists in Scotland, how he is going to improve school and college standards in Scotland - but it's' the same tired old SNP. 'They've only got one playbook, and that's independence. 'I think ordinary people and businesses here in Scotland want to hear what the parties are going to do about reducing NHS waiting lists and seizing the opportunities for growth here in Scotland, and that's what I'm focused on.' First Minister John Swinney | Jane Barlow/Press Association She also criticised the SNP's tax policy, and promised that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would reform the tax system if they win next year's election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The different tax rates between Scotland and England mean anyone earning more than £28,850 pays more tax north of the border than they would elsewhere. Ms Reeves said: 'What the SNP do is tax people on ordinary salaries more than they'd be taxed if they were in England. 'I know that Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, says that if we win the next Holyrood elections, we would reform the tax system because in Scotland people are paying more but getting less, and whilst NHS waiting lists are falling in England and Wales, they are still on the rise in Scotland. 'Despite the record settlement that we gave the Scottish Government, they are taxing more and providing worse services.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves's visit to RAF Lossiemouth comes just days after the Moray military base played host to US President Donald Trump. During his visit to Scotland, the president met with both the First Minister and Ms Reeve's boss Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. During his meeting with the president at Trump International in Aberdeenshire, Mr Swinney made the case for lowering tariffs on Scotch whisky exports to the US. Currently whisky exports face a 10 per cent tariff in the US, costing the industry £4 million a week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After his meeting, Mr Swinney said there was a 'willingness' from Mr Trump to look at the issue. US President Donald Trump at Trump International earlier in the week. | Press Association During Mr Trump's visit, Mr Sarwar suggested the Prime Minister agreed with the call to exempt Scotch whisky from the 10 per cent tariffs. However, when pressed on the issue the chancellor appeared to suggest she was not willing to make any more pitches to the US Government on whisky tariffs. Ms Reeves said: 'We've got the best trade deal of any country in the world from the US. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We were the first country to get a trade deal, and the announcements around tariffs on other countries around the world, whether that's on the EU or others, are substantially higher. 'So we're in a better position than anyone else in the world, and if you look for example at the trade deal we got with India last week, it sees a halving of tariffs on whisky. 'India is the fastest growing market in the world for Scotch whisky - that is really exciting.' A spokesperson for the Scotch Whisky Association said: "We welcomed Scotch whisky tariffs being raised with President Trump earlier this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're encouraged that the 10 per cent tariff on Scotch whisky in our biggest market – which is costing our industry more than £4m a week in lost exports – remains high on the agenda. 'Given the importance of the Scotch whisky industry to the UK economy, and communities all over Scotland, there is no time for complacency. "We welcomed the India free trade agreement, which will open opportunities for our industry in the longer term, but returning to zero tariff trade with the US would give much needed relief now. 'Our industry is facing significant headwinds both at home and in our markets around the world, impacting our ability to invest. High levels of excise duty here at home are hitting businesses hard and it's vital the chancellor listen to those concerns at the upcoming budget, recognising the wider impact of global and domestic turbulence, and supporting Scotch whisky in its home market." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The First Minister made the case for tariff exemptions for our world class whisky sector directly with President Trump this week and - at the invitation of the president - intends to make further representations to him on this matter. 'We hope the 10 per cent tariff can be reduced or removed for all relevant products, including whisky, and we will continue to work with the UK Government to ensure all Scotland's interests are represented as the UK-US economic prosperity deal is completed and built upon.
Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Trump played the EU at its own game... and won
Squaring off across the table from Ursula von der Leyen was Donald Trump, banging his fists and demanding a 30 per cent blanket tariff. The clubhouse of the Trump Turnberry golf course had become the unlikely setting of a face-off between the two global superpowers – and ultimately, the EU's humiliation. The Telegraph has spoken to insiders who were in the room when the negotiations were taking place and has seen diplomatic notes that paint a clear picture. It's one of Mrs von der Leyen, the European Commission president, bowing to pressure from the US and being beaten at the bloc's own game. She had just agreed to the US imposing 15 per cent tariffs on EU goods entering America, while Britain had come away with a rate of 10 per cent. And at the end of it all, she and her team of EU negotiators had to put their thumbs up, their smiles not reaching their eyes, as they stood next to Mr Trump who boasted of the 'biggest deal ever made'. US officials had played hardball for the weeks and months leading up to the high-stakes showdown. Panicked European officials had turned to their Japanese counterparts for advice before flying to Scotland, asking for their advice on how to be successful like them. But ultimately, the EU was beaten by a dealmaker who played the bloc's game better than they could have played it. Over the years, Brussels has used the size of its single market to reinforce the need for trading partners to make concessions, rather than the other way round in talks over deals. And European leaders have voiced their frustration at the move. France's leaders described it as a 'dark day' for Europe and that the bloc hadn't been feared enough going into the talks. Trump plays hardball After a round of golf, the stage was set for the American negotiating team, including Mr Trump. A no-deal deadline was set for Friday, Aug 1. Without a pact Brussels would be subjected to the 30 per cent tariffs set out by the president in a letter to Mrs von der Leyen just two weeks earlier. European firms doing business in America would have become uncompetitive overnight if the EC president didn't shake hands on a pact. To secure this deal, the German eurocrat was told she would have to stomach a number of concessions, signing on the dotted line of an agreement that would be considered one-sided in favour of the Americans. Brussels also knew this agreement was needed to avert a nastier, more chaotic transatlantic trade war that would have left Europe without its most important ally until at least January 2029, when Mr Trump's second term comes to an end. To achieve this, member states agreed that they would have to stomach a blanket tariff because of a belief that the US president wouldn't settle without one, a source familiar with the negotiations told The Telegraph. Maros Sefcovic, the EU's trade commissioner, had briefed capitals that they simply wouldn't be able to do business in the US if that tariff rose to the 30 per cent demanded by Mr Trump. Therefore, they needed to settle on a number that would be an increase on the status quo originally charged on European imports into America – 14.8 per cent, according to one official. Some might argue that this was the EU being made to take a taste of its own medicine, with the bloc usually the first negotiator to reach for hard deadlines and use its size and strength to extract concessions from prospective partners. And it worked, the bloc had blinked. Before Mrs von der Leyen headed to Scotland, European capitals signed off on a mandate, perhaps for the first time, that would use a trade deal to increase tariffs from the current number. Behind the scenes For 24 minutes, the US President and the commission chief held an impromptu press conference under the eight chandeliers in the glamorous ball room at Trump Turnberry. With the Brussels and White House press packs ushered out, the real talks could begin. Mr Trump opened with his gambit of 30 per cent tariffs on all European products imported into America. The commission's first offer was 'high single digits', a source briefed on the wrangling said. The White House delegation stood firm as their European counterparts began slowly ratcheting their number closer to the American's figure. But ultimately, the commission's team kept their cool, at the recommendation of the Japanese, the most recent country to sign an agreement with the US. The Telegraph can reveal that a top aide to Mr Sefcovic had reached out to his Japanese counterpart for help on handling the Americans before the talks. 'They come in shouting the high number, and all you have to do is hold your cool and they diminish as you push back,' a source said, describing the advice. The other tactic deployed by the Europeans was to woo Mr Trump with some large numbers presented to him on a single sheet of A4 paper. Eurocrats had used their build-up to prepare an offer on paper that the US president would see as a major victory. That was an offer to buy billions of dollars worth of American military technology – born out of Nato's recent decision to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP. The EU pledged to purchase $750bn (£565bn) worth of energy from the US over the next three years. And then there was a further promise that European companies would invest $600bn (£452bn) by 2028. These, European officials claim, are non-binding, not really worth the paper they were written on. The numbers were calculated using publicly available order information and information from trade associations. But this was enough to convince Mr Trump to settle at a tariff rate of 15 per cent, covering about 70 per cent of EU exports and totalling about €780bn (£588bn) worth of trade. In return, US imports into the EU will not face higher tariffs. 'This is probably the biggest deal ever reached in any capacity, trade or beyond trade,' Mr Trump declared. 'It's a giant deal,' he added, referring to the $600bn and $750bn promises. 'That's going to be great.' The US president's claims of victory and the deal were met with derision in Europe. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said the bloc hadn't been 'feared' enough in the talks, which opened the door to the concessions. François Bayrou, Macron's prime minister, described it as a 'dark day' for Europe and accused the Commission of bowing to American pressure. Michel Barnier, the EU's former Brexit negotiator, said accepting tariffs was an 'admission of weakness'. 'This weakness is not inevitable. It results from poor choices that ensure neither the sovereignty nor the prosperity of the continent and its states,' he wrote on social media. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, meanwhile said it would cause 'considerable damage' to his country's economy, the largest in the Eurozone. In comparison, Britain had negotiated a tariff rate of 10 per cent, five less than the EU, in its own deal with Washington. This was hailed by Brexiteers as evidence that leaving the bloc was the right thing to do. Paris and Berlin had been the two capitals pushing hardest for the bloc to take a more robust stance in the trade talks. The French had especially pushed for a package of €93bn (£81bn) of retaliatory tariffs to be unleashed to bring Mr Trump and Washington to heel. There were also calls from Paris to clamp down on American tech firms doing business in Europe. 'This was a big red button nobody was willing to push,' an EU diplomat told The Telegraph, spelling out fears that Europe's economy is reliant on American payment services. But Mrs von der Leyen, who was particularly dovish, argued that this would spill over into other sectors and potentially spell an end to what is a crucial alliance for Europe, especially in security. Fears that the White House and Pentagon would withdraw security guarantees for Europe and cut off weapons supplies to Ukraine overshadowed the talks. But the commission president and her top officials also steeled member states for a longer-term game. Devil in the detail Gabrielius Landsbergis, a former Lithuanian foreign minister, said: 'The only way I can explain to myself why the EU commission would choose to humiliate Europe by accepting the 15 per cent tariff is that they hope to appease Trump enough for him to maintain US security commitments in Europe.' Now Mr Trump has his victory, the devil would be in the detail as the terms are finalised, Mrs von der Leyen's team told member states. The commission will be looking to quietly enlarge a list of products that are exempted from tariffs in more technical talks with Washington. Eurocrats are already briefing that Britain's deal, despite having a lower tariff rate, doesn't protect key European industries, such as beef farmers.
