Leeds MP that receives the most 'toxic tweets' according to BBC study calls for an end to 'appalling' abuse

Richard Burgon MP, who represents Leeds East, received 1,247 “toxic” tweets in the six-week period looked at as part of the joint investigation by the BBC, the publishers of the Yorkshire Evening Post and others.

He said that the majority of abusive tweets he receives are from the far-right in opposition to his stances on migration, climate change and strikes in the public sector.

The Labour MP said that he regularly receives abusive tweets but added that, on the whole, he doesn’t engage with them.

He said: "Ultimately the Twitter trolls that send abuse don’t win.”

As part of the wider investigation, journalists gathered and analysed three million tweets directed at MPs between March and April this year.

More than 130,000 of those tweets – which works out at around one in every 20 tweets – were deemed to be ‘toxic’.

"Toxic” tweets were defined as one which is "rude, disrespectful or unreasonable" and "likely to make someone leave a conversation".

This included a broad range of results, which can range from defining someone as an "idiot" to, in the most extreme cases, things like misogyny and racism.

The tweets were analysed by a machine-learning tool built to identify harmful conversations online.

Mr Burgon, who has an active profile on Twitter, was ranked as receiving the ninth highest percentage of toxic tweets of all MPs in Yorkshire and the Humber, with 3.5% of the 35,341 tweets sent to him being deemed abusive.

He said: “There are some people who devote all of their spare time to trolling members of parliament and sending abuse. In a way I feel a bit sorry for them. It’s an unusual way to spend their spare time.

"Some people get very angry when I call for a wealth tax on the super rich and when I support rail workers striking for a fair pay.

"It doesn’t intimidate or phase me though and it won’t stop me from holding the government to account or representing my constituents.”

He added: "But I think it’s very important that we consider the amount of racist abuse levelled at MPs. For example, my colleague Diane Abbott is one of the MPs to receive a huge amount of racist and sexist abuse online.

"This is appalling and must stop.”

Mr Burgon also emphasised that he often receives supportive messages from locals, including one 96-year-old woman who got in touch “to say she was concerned at some of the abuse directed my way”.

He said: “What’s important is while there’s no place for abuse in our political discourse or racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia; what we have to remind ourselves is that Twitter trolls are very unrepresentative of society.

"Most people are very pleasant in real life and can agree to disagree.”

Asked if he could recall any particular messages of abuse sent to him, Mr Burgon said: “I’m sorry to disappoint the trolls but I don’t spend my time reading the abuse they send.

"Every week my office gets about 1,000 emails from constituents wanting my help and that’s what I focus on.”