• For the second time, graffiti has been sprayed on Luke’s Plymouth office windows
• Luke maintains his invitation to have a talk with the vandaliser

Reporting to the vandalism of his office, Luke says:

This morning my office was attacked again. The graffiti uses the common slur against gay people – that gay people are child abusers. As Plymouth’s first ever out MP I occasionally encounter hate because of who I love and who I am but I know that this type of hate does not reflect the views of the people of Plymouth.

 

I’ve spent the past few months standing up for the victims of Vanessa George who abused babies and toddlers in Plymouth. Child abuse is evil and because of that it’s a slur when deployed against minorities that sometimes sticks. It shouldn’t as it’s untrue and intended to deceive but those who peddle and promote hate tend not to focus on what’s true or real, only what’s imagined to create division.

 

We saw the most incredible and positive reaction from people in Plymouth. Lots of people dropped into the office and asked about me and my team’s safety and welfare. We received messages of support from every part of Plymouth and from people who vote for all different parties. It was warming because it showed that the vast, vast majority of our city are good decent people and do not like the slide towards hate we are seeing in our politics and our country.

 

My offer of to sit down and talk with the individuals who vandalised my office still stands but they need to be aware that hate and abuse will not silence me in standing up for our city and it’s people. We need to build bridges not walls.