A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of sending threatening communications to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage after allegedly posting a message on social media threatening to shoot the MP if he won an election.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed to The Times of India that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday at a residential address in south London following an investigation into an online threat made against a serving Member of Parliament.
According to police, the alleged threat, posted on X in May, read: “I am going to shoot you in the head if you win.”
Social media account under scrutiny
According to The Daily Telegraph, the suspect’s X profile featured the photograph of a British Asian man and reportedly contained references to “Hindu phrases”. The newspaper also claimed the account described its owner as a terrorist and identified him as a Liberal Democrat supporter.
The Times of India said it had not independently verified the social media account or its contents.
Investigation began after parliamentary security alert
The threatening post was reportedly flagged by Parliament’s Security Information and Risk Analysis Service, which referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police’s Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team.
Police received the report on May 8 and subsequently sought legal approval to obtain account information from the social media platform.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said detectives submitted an application to access the user’s contact details, which ultimately led to the suspect’s identification and arrest with assistance from local officers.
The man was held overnight before being released on police bail while investigations continue.
Farage calls for stronger action
Reacting to the arrest, Farage said it was the first time police had proactively acted over a threatening social media post directed at him.
He told The Daily Telegraph that he hoped officers would now investigate the hundreds of similar threats he claims to have received in recent years.
“This is the first time the police have ever proactively acted on a social media post, and I hope they are looking at the other 300 or 400 similar posts from this year alone,” Farage said.
He added that previous complaints involving violent messages and videos had often failed to meet the threshold for police action.
Calls for review of MPs’ security
The arrest comes amid growing concern over the safety of British politicians following the recent killing of Reform UK politician Ann Widdecombe.
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for a comprehensive review of security arrangements for Members of Parliament, saying political discourse in Britain has become increasingly hostile over the past decade.
Police said enquiries into the alleged threat remain ongoing.