Rosie Cooper: MP at centre of murder plot criticises 'stupid' ITV drama

A Labour MP who was the people of a far-right execution crippled has delivered a stinging disapproval of ITV implicit a play astir however the program was foiled.

Rosie Cooper told the House of Commons she had been "used arsenic a selling tool" for five-part bid The Walk-In.

Referring to erstwhile decease threats, she said: "How galore much volition travel from this stupid, stupid, anserine series?"

ITV has said The Walk-In "explores immoderate of the astir captious and applicable issues of modern times".

The drama, which started past month, stars Stephen Graham arsenic Hope Not Hate activistic Matthew Collins, who got a tip-off successful 2017 astir the menace to Ms Cooper.

That led to the apprehension and jailing of a neo-Nazi who had bought a machete to termination the West Lancashire MP.

Speaking successful the Commons connected Wednesday, Ms Cooper said: "I'm appalled astatine ITV's caller attraction of the threats to MPs. I've been utilized arsenic a selling instrumentality by some Hope Not Hate and ITV.

"What excuse is determination for a property merchandise that says, 'Who is Rosie Cooper and who wanted to execution her'? There is nary defence to that."

She called connected ITV and Hope Not Hate to donate "all monies and profits" from the bid to the Jo Cox Foundation, acceptable up pursuing the execution of Labour MP Jo Cox successful 2016.

Ms Cooper said she had received galore threats, "all piggybacking connected the archetypal threat", adding: "In fact, determination is 1 lawsuit with the Director of Public Prosecutions close now. And however galore much volition travel from this stupid, stupid, anserine series?"

She besides recalled however she had been granted a authorities car astatine the extremity of 1 related proceedings astatine the Old Bailey due to the fact that "ITV's despicable cameraman chased maine up and down the road".

ITV, which besides broadcast a documentary astir the existent communicative connected Monday, has not yet responded to her comments.

The broadcaster has antecedently described The Walk-In, written by Jeff Pope, arsenic "an explosive state-of-the-world bid that explores immoderate of the astir captious and applicable issues of modern times including racism, state of code and terrorism".

A Hope Not Hate spokesperson said: "We sympathise with Rosie Cooper for everything she has been done successful caller years. No-one should endure execution threats simply for doing their job.

"Clearly, we are disappointed to perceive Rosie's words successful the enclosure today. In 2017, respective members of our organisation worked tirelessly and astatine tremendous sacrifice to themselves to foil the execution crippled against Rosie Cooper.

"This ITV play and documentary item the precise existent information of far-right extremism - particularly for those successful nationalist life.

"Since the broadcast, we've had respective existent and erstwhile members of the organised acold close get successful interaction to question enactment leaving the acold close arsenic good arsenic acrophobic members of the nationalist who person asked for enactment for household members who person been radicalised.

"We cannot alteration what has happened to Rosie Cooper but we tin proceed to enactment to tackle far-right extremism."

Ms Cooper's comments came aft the Conservative seat of the Foreign Affairs committee raised the contented with the the Commons Speaker.

Alicia Kearns said: "ITV has made a play bid astir the heinous program to execution the honourable woman for West Lancashire, whose support I person to marque this constituent of order.

"What proposal tin you springiness to members successful this concern to guarantee that the facts are reasonably presented, that threats connected the lives of our colleagues are not treated arsenic entertainment... and that these bid bash not hazard re-victimising those of america inactive surviving nether important menace from life?"

The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, replied that the information of MPs, their families and unit was "one of my highest priorities".

"Like each members of this House, however, I would person thought that immoderate depiction of threats made against parliamentarians is undertaken responsibly based connected the facts and mindful of the interaction of those taxable to those specified threats."

He added that "we each basal successful awe of the bravery" that Ms Cooper had shown.

She precocious said she was lasting down arsenic an MP, explaining that "events I person faced person taken their toll".