KATE Forbes has said online abuse faced by politicians is "starving Scotland's political system of good talent".
The Finance Secretary spoke out after a survey by Holyrood Magazine found one third of MSPs have been sent death threats.
Speaking on BBC Debate Night, Forbes said she wasn't shocked by the poll, adding: "Those figures don't surprise me. In terms of being perhaps on the younger side and a woman in politics you almost feel like it's just part of the job description. It shouldn't be because we wouldn't tolerate that as part of the job description for any other occupation.
"I've got a good support network – friends and family and colleagues across the chamber –who provide support but what really worries me is that it is a big reason why other women don't come into politics. We are poorer for them not being here, we are poorer for people from all sorts of backgrounds not stepping forward to get involved in politics because they see the levels of abuse and vitriol."
READ MORE: A third of MSPs have been sent death threats, new poll suggests
She concluded: "In terms of online, all of us will be used to the increasing amout of abuse and vitriol which I think increases the more visible you are in politics, perhaps particularly as a political leader.
"They are all anonymous trolls so if the police can find individuals in reality, not in the virtual space, who abuse and cause harm then how we do it online needs to be fixed because we are starving our political system of good talent."
Almost three-quarters of respondents to the survey said they have feared for their safety since being elected.
The research was carried out after Joanna Cherry made a complaint to the police about an alleged threat of sexual violence, with a man subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
READ MORE: Man charged in connection with alleged threat sent to Joanna Cherry
Some 67 MSPs, out of a total of 129, were interviewed from February 4-9.
Some 33% of the parliamentarians, including just under half of female MSPs, said they have been the subject of a death threat since entering Holyrood.
One in 10 have received a threat of sexual violence. All those who gave this response were female, with 29% reporting such an incident.
More than two-thirds of the MSPs (70%) have feared for their safety since being elected, while a similar number (69%) have had to contact police following a threat to them, their staff or their family.
One female MSP told Holyrood Magazine: “I’ve known for most of my adult life that most women, at some point, experience some form of men’s violence. I’m now utterly dismayed to say that a sizeable number of females I work with have received credible death threats – I know of three in just the last couple of weeks.”
A male MSP who has received homophobic abuse added: “Someone once followed me home from work, banged on my door and the police gave me a panic alarm to carry around.
“My regional office was fitted with extra security and had panic buttons installed.”
READ MORE: Joanna Cherry reveals she does not want to be SNP leader and may quit politics
The Scottish Parliament says it has beefed up security measures since the death of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered by an extreme right-wing terrorist in 2016.
A Holyrood spokesperson said: “Jo Cox’s death made us all look again at Members’ safety and, regrettably, the threat elected representatives face on a daily basis.
“Over this session of parliament, the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) has funded security enhancements to more than 80% of constituency and regional offices based on Police Scotland advice. We have also made lone worker devices available to Members and their staff, plus home security surveys are available to MSPs, which are undertaken by Police Scotland.
“The Scottish Parliament’s Security Office and Police Scotland provide advice and support to Members on a range of security issues, proactively and in response to any concerns raised.
“Work is already at an advanced stage by our Security Office to ensure the new intake of MSPs have immediate access to our personal safety services.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel