WESTMINSTER — Mitie has tightened its vetting processes after it sent a bodyguard with far-right links to protect a politician under threat from extremists. The company holds a £31 million contract for providing bodyguards to MPs.

Mitie is updating its Close Protection Operative vetting to include regular social media checks and will conduct random checks on the social media activity of close protection operatives already employed. All of the firm's close protection officers hold Security Industry Authority licences, the mandatory legal requirement for individuals working as security guards, door supervisors and CCTV operators.

The contract was awarded following the assassination of Conservative MP David Amess by an Islamist terrorist in 2021. Labour MP Jo Cox was killed by an extreme right-wing terrorist in 2016. A review of security measures for MPs was commissioned after the murder of Amess, and additional measures were developed, including security for constituency surgeries and events, and security training.

Harassment and crimes against MPs have doubled in two years to nearly 1,000 cases annually as of March. Threat levels to MPs from extremists have reached a level comparable to those during Irish republican terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said, "The volume, breadth and tempo of threats against elected representatives is unprecedented." He said that he and MI5's director general had discussed the issue with chief executives from political parties, and that families have been affected by assaults, vandalism, stalking, blockading and online abuse. "Women and ethnic minority representatives report the highest volumes of abuse, including overtly sexualised and racially charged threats, which have a chilling effect on who feels able to stand for public office," he added.

Labour MP Chris Webb said he had received a barrage of constant threats, including death threats, from the far right since winning a by-election in 2024, and that the case was not an isolated incident. "This escalation is not simply about the safety of MPs – it represents a serious and growing threat to the health of our democracy," he said. "Attempts to intimidate or silence those in public service are an attack on the rights and freedoms that underpin our political system. We must do more to ensure the safety and security of MPs and their families, or we risk further tragedies."

MPs raise security concerns with the Speaker's office, which liaises with the parliamentary security department established in 2016 to provide personal advice to politicians and their staff. "The ability for members and their staff to perform their parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the estate, is fundamental to our democracy. Abuse and intimidation is completely unacceptable," a spokesperson for the parliamentary authorities said.