Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, who represents her sister's former seat in Parliament, said threats to the security of politicians and the strain on their mental health meant Britain's democracy was in a "dangerous" place.
In a further sign of the tensions being felt in Westminster, Tory MP Elio Colburn said MPs across the House have attempted to take their lives.
The MP was speaking on BBC Radio 4 show Broken Politicians, Broke Politics.
Cox was murdered by a right-wing extremist in his Yorkshire constituency during the EU referendum campaign in 2016.
Leadbeater, who represents the same Batley and Spain seat, told the BB programme: “I think politics was in a very bad state at the time.There was a lot of division. Was very angry."
"Sadly, I would say, if anything, it's worse."
He said: "Elected officials don't feel like they can always speak freely, they don't feel like they can always say what they really think."
“And potentially, in the worst case, they don't necessarily vote the way they think they should vote because they know it will have an impact not only on their safety but also on their mental health and well-being ."And that's a really dangerous place to be. It's not good for democracy."
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned Britain was descending into "mob rule" amid fears MPs would be targeted by protesters over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Meanwhile, Colburn, who has spoken in the Commons about a suicide attempt in 2021, told the programme: "Colleagues across all political parties in the UK have attempted to take their lives."
The program had exclusive access to preliminary findings of the 2024 survey of departing MPs, which highlighted the impact of the job on their mental health.It also includes new evidence from the House of Commons suggesting that mental health is one of the most common reasons for contacting medical services in Westminster.
Matt Hawkins, co-director of the campaign group Compassion in Politics, said, "We need to have a national conversation about the damage it is doing to our political system that I want to work in or with."
“Toxic debates, abuse, long working hours, lack of autonomy – these are some of the issues that are taking a toll on our elected representatives and their teams.”
"But the problem doesn't stop there. These are the individuals who have been elected to represent our interests, and they have to do so when they are always tired, often anxious, and sometimes depressed.,
“If we want to change our country for the better, we must change our politics and help create a political environment that is inclusive, welcoming, supportive, and caring.”
sd/svn
In a further sign of the tensions being felt in Westminster, Tory MP Elio Colburn said MPs across the House have attempted to take their lives.
The MP was speaking on BBC Radio 4 show Broken Politicians, Broke Politics.
Cox was murdered by a right-wing extremist in his Yorkshire constituency during the EU referendum campaign in 2016.
Leadbeater, who represents the same Batley and Spain seat, told the BB programme: “I think politics was in a very bad state at the time.There was a lot of division. Was very angry."
"Sadly, I would say, if anything, it's worse."
He said: "Elected officials don't feel like they can always speak freely, they don't feel like they can always say what they really think."
“And potentially, in the worst case, they don't necessarily vote the way they think they should vote because they know it will have an impact not only on their safety but also on their mental health and well-being ."And that's a really dangerous place to be. It's not good for democracy."
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned Britain was descending into "mob rule" amid fears MPs would be targeted by protesters over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Meanwhile, Colburn, who has spoken in the Commons about a suicide attempt in 2021, told the programme: "Colleagues across all political parties in the UK have attempted to take their lives."
The program had exclusive access to preliminary findings of the 2024 survey of departing MPs, which highlighted the impact of the job on their mental health.It also includes new evidence from the House of Commons suggesting that mental health is one of the most common reasons for contacting medical services in Westminster.
Matt Hawkins, co-director of the campaign group Compassion in Politics, said, "We need to have a national conversation about the damage it is doing to our political system that I want to work in or with."
“Toxic debates, abuse, long working hours, lack of autonomy – these are some of the issues that are taking a toll on our elected representatives and their teams.”
"But the problem doesn't stop there. These are the individuals who have been elected to represent our interests, and they have to do so when they are always tired, often anxious, and sometimes depressed.,
“If we want to change our country for the better, we must change our politics and help create a political environment that is inclusive, welcoming, supportive, and caring.”
sd/svn
