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Politics

07th Mar 2018

Mhairi Black has become the first MP to say c*** in Parliament

She was highlighting sexist online abuse

Oli Dugmore

Mhairi Black has repeatedly said “cunt” in Parliament as she detailed the extent of online abuse she receives

Westminster’s youngest MP highlighted sexist online abuse in a striking speech delivered, in Westminster Hall on Wednesday, as part of a wider debate about misogyny.

The SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South said has been called a “wee boy” and told she wears her dad’s suits.

Black said: “I’ve been told you can’t put lipstick on a pig, let the dirty bitch each shit and die.

“I could soften some of this by talking about the c-word but the reality is there is no softening when you’re targeted with these words and you’re left reading them on my screen every day, day in, day out.

“‘She needs a kick in the cunt, guttural cunt, ugly cunt, wee animal cunt’ – there is no softening just how sexualised and misogynistic the abuse is.”

“I’ve been assured multiple times that I don’t have to worry because I am so ugly that no one would want to rape me.

“All of these insults have been tailored to me because I am a woman.”

She also detailed the harrowing slurs she receives about her sexuality.

The debate heard from a number of other female MPs, Women’s Minister Victoria Atkins said she had left Twitter entirely because of the volume of abuse she received. Labour MP Melanie Onn called for a change in the law to make misogyny a hate crime.

The c-word was first used in Parliament in January by Tory Peer Baroness Jenkin during a debate about abuse in the House of Lords.