Online trolls should be given digital ‘ASBOs’ for abusing MPs, report says | Social Media
Online trolls who abuse politicians should be given digital ASBOs temporarily banning them from using social media, the government has been told.
A new report by the thinktank WebRoots Democracy, published in parliament this week, will outline measures to turn the tide against the “sewer of hate speech and abusive content” found online.
One suggestion is for online anti-social behaviour orders, where people who persistently abuse politicians would be banned from Twitter or Facebook for a short period and added to an online abuser register.
MPs from all parties have complained of receiving death threats, racist and misogynistic slurs, prompting Theresa May to promise action to curb the streams bile aimed at political figures.
Ministers are considering banning trolls from standing for public office but the thinktank said tougher sanctions were needed to get a grip on the spread of online abuse.
Chief executive Areeq Chowdhury told The Independent: “Despite all of the talk, research, and media coverage about online abuse, we've seen no significant action in tackling it.
“Whilst social media has great potential to be a hub of political conversation, the reality is that it is fast becoming a sewer of hate speech and abusive content.”
Some users are self-censoring to avoid abuse while others told WebRoots researchers that the messages they received had driven them to suicidal despair.
Mr Chowdhury said: “If we are to be serious about tackling this problem we need to start thinking of ideas that focus on sanctions, education, and reform
“Our proposed extension of anti-social behaviour orders to cover online behaviour and for them to have online sanctions, is one such idea that we urge the government to consider.”
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott received half of all abusive tweets sent to female MPs during the run-up to the election, according to research that tracked more than 25,000 tweets sent to parliamentarians.
Tory Brexit rebels have also faced abuse, such as prominent backbencher Anna Soubry, who received death threats for defying the government.
SNP MP Hannah Bardell, who is backing the report, has spoken about the extensive homophobic abuse online she has received online.
“I have a number of concerns about abuse on social media, particularly for those in the public eye or indeed performing a public service,” she told The Independent.
“Of course as politicians we should be critiqued on our performance and criticism is a normal part of the role, however, abuse is unacceptable.
1/50 12 October 2018
Waves hit Cawsand, Cornwall as Storm Callum arrives to the UK
PA
2/50 11 October 2018
Former Prime Minister John Major has spoken out against the launch of Universal Credit (the Government's new benefit model). Claiming that it will hurt families of “already meagre living standards”, he suggested that the policy could be similarly damaging to Theresa May as Poll Tax was to Margaret Thatcher
PA
3/50 10 October 2018
The Supreme Court has ruled that two Belfast bakers were within the law to refuse to cook a cake that endorsed gay marriage. The case, beginning in 2014 and progressing to the highest court in the land, has been controversial and has raised discussion about the balance of rights and equality
Reuters
4/50 9 October 2018
Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon acknowledges the applause as she delivers her keynote speech to delegates on the final day of the SNP annual conference in Glasgow
AFP/Getty
5/50 8 October 2018
Anna Richardson and Alastair Campbell pose with their portraits at Let's Talk, a photography exhibition created in partnership with Mental Health UK at Regent's Place in London. It is designed to inspire open and honest conversations about mental health by depicting each subjects inner battles on their faces
Paul Davey/SWNS
6/50 7 October 2018
The Royal De Luxe theatre company's ‘Giants' street puppets during a street theatre performances in Liverpool
PA
7/50 6 October 2018
Banksy's artwork, Girl With Balloon which shredded itself after being sold for more than £1 million at auction. The auction house was forced to admit it got Banksy-ed after the canvas suddenly passed through a shredder installed in the frame
PA
8/50 5 October 2018
A new artwork depicting Prime Minister Theresa May by street artist The Pink Bear Rebel has recently appeared in the West End of Glasgow
PA
9/50 4 October 2018
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on a climbing wall during a visit to The Climbing Lab in Leeds, which was damaged during the Boxing Day floods in 2015 as he supported the city's bid for more funding for flood defences to prevent any future disasters
PA
10/50 3 October 2018
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May dances a few steps as she takes to the stage to give her keynote address on the fourth and final day of the Conservative Party Conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham
AFP/Getty
11/50 2 October 2018
Boris Johnson warned that Theresa May's “cheat” Brexit plans would leave the UK in “manacles” and lead to the dominance of the far right and far left in British politics during his speech at a fringe event at the Conservative Party annual conference in Birmingham
PA
12/50 1 October 2018
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson speaking at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham
PA
13/50 30 September 2018
Protestors set off on an anti-Brexit march, organised by the ‘Best For Britain' campaign group, in central Birmingham
AFP/Getty
14/50 29 September 2018
Royal Navy Commander, Nathan Gray lands his F-35B onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time.
Two F-35B Lightning II fighter jets have successfully landed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time, laying the foundations for the next 50 years of fixed wing aviation in support of the UK's Carrier Strike Capability.
Royal Navy Commander, Nathan Gray, 41, made history by being the first to land on, carefully manoeuvring his stealth jet onto the thermal coated deck. He was followed by Squadron Leader Andy Edgell, RAF, both of whom are test pilots, operating with the Integrated Test Force (ITF) based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Shortly afterwards, once a deck inspection has been conducted and the all-clear given, Cdr Gray became the first pilot to take off using the ship's ski-ramp.
Crown copyright/PO Arron Hoare
15/50 28 September 2018
Headteachers from across England and Wales hold signs in Parliament Square, London, as they prepare to march on Downing Street to demand extra money for schools
PA
16/50 27 September 2018
Former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson (C) arrives at the Old Bailey Courthouse in London, Britain, 27 September 2018. The far right figurehead whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon faces a rehearing after winning an appeal against a contempt of court finding last month.
EPA
17/50 26 September 2018
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn delivers a keynote speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool
EPA
18/50 25 September 2018
Derby County manager leads the celebrations with players in front of their fans after winning a penalty shootout against Manchester United in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Lampard faced his old manager as a player, Jose Mourinho, for the first time in his managerial career
Action Images via Reuters
19/50 24 September 2018
The European Parliament's Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt arriving in Downing Street, in London, for a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May
AFP/Getty
20/50 23 September 2018
Campaigners take part in a ‘People's Vote' March in central Liverpool to call for members of the public to be given a vote on the final negotiations of the UK's exit from the European Union and coincides with the annual Labour Party Conference
EPA
21/50 22 September 2018
US telecommunications company Comcast has won the bid for Sky. Already owning 39% of shares in Sky, Rupert Murdoch's Fox was looking to take full control, but has been outbid by Comcast at £30 billion
PA
22/50 21 September 2018
The Prime Minister responded with ire to the EU's rejection of her Chequers deal, stating that it is “unacceptable” at this stage for them to reject a deal outright without offering an alternative, and that the UK expects to be treated with respect
Reuters
23/50 20 September 2018
Chris Evans' wife Natasha Shishmanian has given birth to twins, a boy and girl affectionately nicknamed “Ping and Pong” throughout the pregnancy
Getty
24/50 19 September 2018
Storm Ali hit the British Isles bringing winds of up to 100mph. A woman in the Republic of Ireland was killed when her caravan was blown off of a cliff and a man in Northern Ireland was killed by a falling tree. Pictured is a bus that was carrying students of Dundee University that was hit by a falling tree in Fife
PA
25/50 18 September 2018
Car manufacturer BMW announced that its Mini factory in the UK would close for its annual summer maintenance several weeks earlier than planned, starting on April 1, 2019, to avoid any disruption in case of a no-deal Brexit
AFP/Getty
26/50 17 September 2018
“It's either my deal or no deal”, the Prime Minister has said to the BBC's Nick Robinson in an interview on Panorama. Mrs May also claims to be irritated by the constant speculation over her leadership, stating “this debate is not about my future. This debate is about the future of the people of the UK and the future of the United Kingdom.”
BBC/Jeff Overs
27/50 16 September 2018
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced his support for a second Brexit referendum. In The Observer, the mayor writes: “After careful consideration, I've decided the people must get a final say. This means a public vote on any deal or a vote on a no deal, alongside the option of staying in the EU”
BBC/PA
28/50 15 September 2018
The Liberal Democrats party conference began in Brighton. In his conference speech, leader Vince Cable is expected to elaborate on his plans for a “Movement for Moderates”
PA
29/50 14 September 2018
An early Banksy mural has been accidentally painted over during renovations. The mural has been on the shop front on Park Row in the artist's hometown of Bristol since the 1990s
PA
30/50 13 September 2018
Suspects in the Skripal poisoning case Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov today claimed in an interview with Russian state broadcaster RT that they were visiting Salisbury as tourists. Stating “It's famous for its 123-meter spire. It's famous for its clock. It's one of the oldest working clocks in the world.”
Getty
31/50 12 September 2018
Tottenham Hotspur and French National goalkeeper Hugo Lloris leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to drink driving. The footballer is accused of being over twice the legal alcohol limit when he was stopped by police on August 24
Getty
32/50 11 September 2018
David Suchet recites from Amadeus during a service of thanksgiving to celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter Hall, the former director of the National Theatre, at Westminster Abbey in London
PA
33/50 10 September 2018
Alastair Cook celebrates his century in his last ever innings playing for England during the fourth day of the fifth test cricket match against India at The Oval. He announced his retirement before the fifth test match began, ending his illustrious 12-year test career
AFP/Getty
34/50 9 September 2018
Sir Mo Farah winning the The Great North Run's elite men's race, claiming a record-breaking fifth consecutive victory. He completed the race in under an hour
Getty/Nike
35/50 8 September 2018
Britain's former foreign secretary Boris Johnson sits in the stands during play on the second day of the fifth Test cricket match between England and India at The Oval in London
AFP/Getty
36/50 7 September 2018
The poppy sculpture Wave by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper at IWM North, The Quays, Manchester. This is the final presentation of Wave as part of a four year UK-wide tour, and the sculpture will be on site until 25 November
PA
37/50 6 September 2018
The aftermath of a house fire, which broke out in the early hours of the morning, where a woman died in Centurion Square, south-east London.
PA
38/50 5 September 2018
Counter-terrorism police have released images of the two suspects in connection with the Salisbury attack in March. The suspects Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, are Russian nationals, and approximately 40 years old. They travelled on a Russian passport and it is likely that they were travelling under aliases and that these are not their real names. The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition in connection with the Novichok poisoning attack on Sergei Skripal
Metropolitan Police
39/50 4 September 2018
Pro Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, protesters demonstrate outside the Labour party headquarters in London. Labour's NEC (National Executive Committee) is expected to approve the international definition of anti-Semitism into Labour's code of conduct
EPA
40/50 3 September 2018
Chris Evans surrounded by media as he leaves the Radio 2 studio in London after he announced he is quitting his breakfast show which he has presented since 2010
PA
41/50 2 September 2018
Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks during the ‘Jewish Labour Movement Conference'
Getty
42/50 1 September 2018
An inflatable caricature balloon of Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan floats, near Parliament Square in London. Organizer Yanny Bruere raised more than 58,000 pounds ($75,000) through the Crowdfunder website for the 29-foot (8.8-meter) blimp as part of a campaign to oust Khan from his post. Khan angered some people in the British capital and elsewhere last month when he allowed a balloon caricaturing Donald Trump as an angry baby to float above the city while the U.S. president was in England.
AP
43/50 31 August 2018
A can of Coca-Cola next to a cup of Costa coffee, as Whitbread has struck a deal to sell the Costa Coffee chain to Coca-Cola for £3.9 billion
PA
44/50 30 August 2018
Frank Field MP in Westminster, London, after resigning from the Labour party over the anti-Semitism crisis. Field, who has represented Birkenhead from almost 40 years, revealed in a letter to party chief whip Nick Brown that he could no longer serve the party as the leadership was overseeing the “erosion of our core values”
PA
45/50 29 August 2018
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meeting ‘King George' and the cast at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London after attending a gala performance of the musical Hamilton, in support of Sentebale. The evening raises awareness and funds for Sentebale's work with children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa
Dan Charity/The Sun/PA
46/50 28 August 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May meets students and staff at I.D. Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town, which is twinned with Whitby High School in Yorkshire. The two schools are part of a British Council funded teacher exchange scheme called ‘Connected Classrooms'. The prime minister is on day one of her trip to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya on a trade mission designed to bolster the UK's post-Brexit fortunes
PA
47/50 27 August 2018
Performers take part in the main Parade day of Notting Hill Carnival in London. Nearly one million people are expected by the organizers over Sunday and Monday in the streets of west London to celebrate Caribbean culture, which is considered the largest street demonstration in Europe
AFP/Getty
48/50 26 August 2018
The crowd pauses for 72 seconds silence in remembrance of all those lost in the Grenfell Tower fire at the Red Bull Music Academy Sound System at Notting Hill
Getty
49/50 25 August 2018
Comedian Rose Matafeo is congratulated by Steve Coogan after winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Dovecote Studio
PA
50/50 24 August 2018
British Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, attends a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding between British and Chinese firms and institutions at the British ambassador's residence in Beijing
AP
1/50 12 October 2018
Waves hit Cawsand, Cornwall as Storm Callum arrives to the UK
PA
2/50 11 October 2018
Former Prime Minister John Major has spoken out against the launch of Universal Credit (the Government's new benefit model). Claiming that it will hurt families of “already meagre living standards”, he suggested that the policy could be similarly damaging to Theresa May as Poll Tax was to Margaret Thatcher
PA
3/50 10 October 2018
The Supreme Court has ruled that two Belfast bakers were within the law to refuse to cook a cake that endorsed gay marriage. The case, beginning in 2014 and progressing to the highest court in the land, has been controversial and has raised discussion about the balance of rights and equality
Reuters
4/50 9 October 2018
Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon acknowledges the applause as she delivers her keynote speech to delegates on the final day of the SNP annual conference in Glasgow
AFP/Getty
5/50 8 October 2018
Anna Richardson and Alastair Campbell pose with their portraits at Let's Talk, a photography exhibition created in partnership with Mental Health UK at Regent's Place in London. It is designed to inspire open and honest conversations about mental health by depicting each subjects inner battles on their faces
Paul Davey/SWNS
6/50 7 October 2018
The Royal De Luxe theatre company's ‘Giants' street puppets during a street theatre performances in Liverpool
PA
7/50 6 October 2018
Banksy's artwork, Girl With Balloon which shredded itself after being sold for more than £1 million at auction. The auction house was forced to admit it got Banksy-ed after the canvas suddenly passed through a shredder installed in the frame
PA
8/50 5 October 2018
A new artwork depicting Prime Minister Theresa May by street artist The Pink Bear Rebel has recently appeared in the West End of Glasgow
PA
9/50 4 October 2018
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on a climbing wall during a visit to The Climbing Lab in Leeds, which was damaged during the Boxing Day floods in 2015 as he supported the city's bid for more funding for flood defences to prevent any future disasters
PA
10/50 3 October 2018
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May dances a few steps as she takes to the stage to give her keynote address on the fourth and final day of the Conservative Party Conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham
AFP/Getty
11/50 2 October 2018
Boris Johnson warned that Theresa May's “cheat” Brexit plans would leave the UK in “manacles” and lead to the dominance of the far right and far left in British politics during his speech at a fringe event at the Conservative Party annual conference in Birmingham
PA
12/50 1 October 2018
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson speaking at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham
PA
13/50 30 September 2018
Protestors set off on an anti-Brexit march, organised by the ‘Best For Britain' campaign group, in central Birmingham
AFP/Getty
14/50 29 September 2018
Royal Navy Commander, Nathan Gray lands his F-35B onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time.
Two F-35B Lightning II fighter jets have successfully landed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time, laying the foundations for the next 50 years of fixed wing aviation in support of the UK's Carrier Strike Capability.
Royal Navy Commander, Nathan Gray, 41, made history by being the first to land on, carefully manoeuvring his stealth jet onto the thermal coated deck. He was followed by Squadron Leader Andy Edgell, RAF, both of whom are test pilots, operating with the Integrated Test Force (ITF) based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Shortly afterwards, once a deck inspection has been conducted and the all-clear given, Cdr Gray became the first pilot to take off using the ship's ski-ramp.
Crown copyright/PO Arron Hoare
15/50 28 September 2018
Headteachers from across England and Wales hold signs in Parliament Square, London, as they prepare to march on Downing Street to demand extra money for schools
PA
16/50 27 September 2018
Former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson (C) arrives at the Old Bailey Courthouse in London, Britain, 27 September 2018. The far right figurehead whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon faces a rehearing after winning an appeal against a contempt of court finding last month.
EPA
17/50 26 September 2018
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn delivers a keynote speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool
EPA
18/50 25 September 2018
Derby County manager leads the celebrations with players in front of their fans after winning a penalty shootout against Manchester United in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Lampard faced his old manager as a player, Jose Mourinho, for the first time in his managerial career
Action Images via Reuters
19/50 24 September 2018
The European Parliament's Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt arriving in Downing Street, in London, for a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May
AFP/Getty
20/50 23 September 2018
Campaigners take part in a ‘People's Vote' March in central Liverpool to call for members of the public to be given a vote on the final negotiations of the UK's exit from the European Union and coincides with the annual Labour Party Conference
EPA
21/50 22 September 2018
US telecommunications company Comcast has won the bid for Sky. Already owning 39% of shares in Sky, Rupert Murdoch's Fox was looking to take full control, but has been outbid by Comcast at £30 billion
PA
22/50 21 September 2018
The Prime Minister responded with ire to the EU's rejection of her Chequers deal, stating that it is “unacceptable” at this stage for them to reject a deal outright without offering an alternative, and that the UK expects to be treated with respect
Reuters
23/50 20 September 2018
Chris Evans' wife Natasha Shishmanian has given birth to twins, a boy and girl affectionately nicknamed “Ping and Pong” throughout the pregnancy
Getty
24/50 19 September 2018
Storm Ali hit the British Isles bringing winds of up to 100mph. A woman in the Republic of Ireland was killed when her caravan was blown off of a cliff and a man in Northern Ireland was killed by a falling tree. Pictured is a bus that was carrying students of Dundee University that was hit by a falling tree in Fife
PA
25/50 18 September 2018
Car manufacturer BMW announced that its Mini factory in the UK would close for its annual summer maintenance several weeks earlier than planned, starting on April 1, 2019, to avoid any disruption in case of a no-deal Brexit
AFP/Getty
26/50 17 September 2018
“It's either my deal or no deal”, the Prime Minister has said to the BBC's Nick Robinson in an interview on Panorama. Mrs May also claims to be irritated by the constant speculation over her leadership, stating “this debate is not about my future. This debate is about the future of the people of the UK and the future of the United Kingdom.”
BBC/Jeff Overs
27/50 16 September 2018
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced his support for a second Brexit referendum. In The Observer, the mayor writes: “After careful consideration, I've decided the people must get a final say. This means a public vote on any deal or a vote on a no deal, alongside the option of staying in the EU”
BBC/PA
28/50 15 September 2018
The Liberal Democrats party conference began in Brighton. In his conference speech, leader Vince Cable is expected to elaborate on his plans for a “Movement for Moderates”
PA
29/50 14 September 2018
An early Banksy mural has been accidentally painted over during renovations. The mural has been on the shop front on Park Row in the artist's hometown of Bristol since the 1990s
PA
30/50 13 September 2018
Suspects in the Skripal poisoning case Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov today claimed in an interview with Russian state broadcaster RT that they were visiting Salisbury as tourists. Stating “It's famous for its 123-meter spire. It's famous for its clock. It's one of the oldest working clocks in the world.”
Getty
31/50 12 September 2018
Tottenham Hotspur and French National goalkeeper Hugo Lloris leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to drink driving. The footballer is accused of being over twice the legal alcohol limit when he was stopped by police on August 24
Getty
32/50 11 September 2018
David Suchet recites from Amadeus during a service of thanksgiving to celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter Hall, the former director of the National Theatre, at Westminster Abbey in London
PA
33/50 10 September 2018
Alastair Cook celebrates his century in his last ever innings playing for England during the fourth day of the fifth test cricket match against India at The Oval. He announced his retirement before the fifth test match began, ending his illustrious 12-year test career
AFP/Getty
34/50 9 September 2018
Sir Mo Farah winning the The Great North Run's elite men's race, claiming a record-breaking fifth consecutive victory. He completed the race in under an hour
Getty/Nike
35/50 8 September 2018
Britain's former foreign secretary Boris Johnson sits in the stands during play on the second day of the fifth Test cricket match between England and India at The Oval in London
AFP/Getty
36/50 7 September 2018
The poppy sculpture Wave by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper at IWM North, The Quays, Manchester. This is the final presentation of Wave as part of a four year UK-wide tour, and the sculpture will be on site until 25 November
PA
37/50 6 September 2018
The aftermath of a house fire, which broke out in the early hours of the morning, where a woman died in Centurion Square, south-east London.
PA
38/50 5 September 2018
Counter-terrorism police have released images of the two suspects in connection with the Salisbury attack in March. The suspects Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, are Russian nationals, and approximately 40 years old. They travelled on a Russian passport and it is likely that they were travelling under aliases and that these are not their real names. The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition in connection with the Novichok poisoning attack on Sergei Skripal
Metropolitan Police
39/50 4 September 2018
Pro Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, protesters demonstrate outside the Labour party headquarters in London. Labour's NEC (National Executive Committee) is expected to approve the international definition of anti-Semitism into Labour's code of conduct
EPA
40/50 3 September 2018
Chris Evans surrounded by media as he leaves the Radio 2 studio in London after he announced he is quitting his breakfast show which he has presented since 2010
PA
41/50 2 September 2018
Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks during the ‘Jewish Labour Movement Conference'
Getty
42/50 1 September 2018
An inflatable caricature balloon of Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan floats, near Parliament Square in London. Organizer Yanny Bruere raised more than 58,000 pounds ($75,000) through the Crowdfunder website for the 29-foot (8.8-meter) blimp as part of a campaign to oust Khan from his post. Khan angered some people in the British capital and elsewhere last month when he allowed a balloon caricaturing Donald Trump as an angry baby to float above the city while the U.S. president was in England.
AP
43/50 31 August 2018
A can of Coca-Cola next to a cup of Costa coffee, as Whitbread has struck a deal to sell the Costa Coffee chain to Coca-Cola for £3.9 billion
PA
44/50 30 August 2018
Frank Field MP in Westminster, London, after resigning from the Labour party over the anti-Semitism crisis. Field, who has represented Birkenhead from almost 40 years, revealed in a letter to party chief whip Nick Brown that he could no longer serve the party as the leadership was overseeing the “erosion of our core values”
PA
45/50 29 August 2018
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meeting ‘King George' and the cast at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London after attending a gala performance of the musical Hamilton, in support of Sentebale. The evening raises awareness and funds for Sentebale's work with children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa
Dan Charity/The Sun/PA
46/50 28 August 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May meets students and staff at I.D. Mkize Secondary School in Cape Town, which is twinned with Whitby High School in Yorkshire. The two schools are part of a British Council funded teacher exchange scheme called ‘Connected Classrooms'. The prime minister is on day one of her trip to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya on a trade mission designed to bolster the UK's post-Brexit fortunes
PA
47/50 27 August 2018
Performers take part in the main Parade day of Notting Hill Carnival in London. Nearly one million people are expected by the organizers over Sunday and Monday in the streets of west London to celebrate Caribbean culture, which is considered the largest street demonstration in Europe
AFP/Getty
48/50 26 August 2018
The crowd pauses for 72 seconds silence in remembrance of all those lost in the Grenfell Tower fire at the Red Bull Music Academy Sound System at Notting Hill
Getty
49/50 25 August 2018
Comedian Rose Matafeo is congratulated by Steve Coogan after winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Dovecote Studio
PA
50/50 24 August 2018
British Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, attends a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding between British and Chinese firms and institutions at the British ambassador's residence in Beijing
AP
“Abuse of MPs is nothing new, but before the advent of social media MPs the abuse would be sent in the mail which could be contained and kept private, now that abuse is out there for all to see.
“This could easily put anyone off from entering politics, perhaps even more so women, people of colour, members of the LGBT community or the disabled, who are under-represented in parliament.”
The government is currently consulting on plans for a new offence to target those convicted of “threatening or abusive behaviour” either in person or online, towards prospective MPs or campaigners working for them, closing a loophole in legislation.
Ministers will also consider beefing up measures to tackle fake news by forcing digital communications to carry an imprint showing who is responsible, in line with campaign materials rules.
The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
Sign our petition here