Should people be arrested for threatening to shoot an MP?

UK law under Section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 makes it an offence to threaten to kill any person, carrying up to 10 years in prison, with police routinely investigating such threats against MPs. On 15 July 2026, following the targeted killing of former MP Ann Widdecombe, officers arrested a man for threatening to shoot Nigel Farage in a threat made over two months earlier. This has intensified focus on political violence and the need to protect public figures amid rising tensions.