SNP MP who defected to Tory side goes into hiding after receiving death threats

Dr Lisa Cameron said that «the divisions in politics today, particularly in Scottish politics, are really quite frustrating». Photo: Jamie Williamson

A Scottish MP who defected from the SNP to the Tory party said she had to go into hiding after receiving death threats from nationalists.

Dr Lisa Cameron said she had no choice but how to move to a rural «safe haven». to protect her two daughters while extra security was installed at her family home.

The MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow received an email that said: «Listen… your time life on this earth will soon come to an end, be careful.”

An online troll threatened to block her. outside, and another said they hoped she «burned out.»

The 51-year-old said she «just couldn't risk» being killed. Her friend Sir David Ames, MP for Southend West, was killed in his constituency in October 2021.

Dr Cameron also told The Scottish Mail on Sunday that she was never accepted into the SNP because that she is a Christian.

She defected to the Tories in October last year in a move engineered by Rishi Sunak that sent shockwaves through the community. SNP.

'Politics have sunk to such depths'

Referring to the threats she received, Dr Cameron said: 'I thought, 'I have to protect my girls.' I had to move my family out of the house while security measures were put in place.”

Houses of Parliament security installed reinforced doors and windows and four alarms in her home.

She said: “The divisions in politics today, particularly in Scottish politics, are really very frustrating.”

“We've had situations where politics have sunk to such depths that good MPs from all parties, like Jo Cox and David Ames, with whom I was very friendly, gave their lives in the service of their constituents, and I just couldn't take the risk. This is a very sad place for our politics.”

At the time of her escape, Dr Cameron said she sought counseling after she stood up for a young staffer who had been sexually harassed by Patrick Grady, a Scottish National Party MP, saying she had been shunned by colleagues.

She said she also needed antidepressants and suffered panic attacks after being ostracized by colleagues.

'Red flag'

Dr Cameron told The Scottish Mail on Sunday that another The «red flag» was the party's treatment of Kate Forbes, a devout woman. Christian when she stood for the SNP leadership last year.

Ms Forbes said she would have voted against legalizing same-sex marriage if she had been an MP in 2014, prompting John Swinney, who then was Deputy First Minister, questioned whether her views were suitable for the leader of the SNP.

But Dr Cameron said: “The way people withdrew her support made me feel that Christian views might be tolerable to some extent , but are not accepted within the party.» .

“I don’t want to be tolerated as if there is something wrong with me. I want to be accepted as a Christian.”