From bodyguards to death threats – the real impact of chaos in the Commons

Published

1 year ago

February 23, 2024

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The first real crisis of Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s time as Speaker was on full display as he was forced to apologise for how a debate on Gaza descended into chaos.

While he expressed regret for how his decision to allow a Labour amendment on the SNP’s ceasefire motion had angered MPs, he made clear it was motivated by a regard for their safety – an issue that’s become more pressing since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.

Politics latest: Starmer denies threatening Speaker

Sky News has spent the day talking to MPs and their staff about their experiences – ranging from thousands of aggressive emails landing in their inboxes, to protests outside constituency offices that have left some so afraid that they have to work from home.

Ever since tensions over Brexit, MPs have been entitled to panic alarms in their constituency offices to notify the local police force if they are in danger.

And as part of Operation Bridger – activated following the murder of Tory backbencher Sir David Amess – police email staff every Monday to get an itinerary from each MP so they know their whereabouts and of any public-facing events.

‘It’s starting to get him down’

One Labour staffer told us how they now felt like they acted as a “bodyguard” for their MP.

“I’ve started to walk him home, so I’m there to protect him,” they said.

“I walk five steps in front, and you do act as a bit of a bodyguard. I see it as part of the job now.”

The same staffer said the MP they worked for had now started to report tweets that labelled him a “fascist” with “blood on his hands”.

“I think it’s starting to get him down,” they said.

“Before the vote he warned us all on WhatsApp that social media and the parliamentary inbox would be ridiculous for the next 48 hours.”

Death threats have ‘become normal’

Before the chaos in parliament unfolded yesterday, one MP told Sky News they had already received a death threat.

“We are all getting this – it’s become normal for most controversial votes now,” they said.

Last November, when Sir Keir Starmer suffered the resignation of eight shadow ministers who voted for an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire, a protest was held outside the constituency office of one MP and the effigy of a body, along with body bags, was left outside.

At another constituency office, protesters have taken pictures and filmed staff entering and leaving the premises while directing verbal abuse at them.

The situation has become so serious that Labour staff members have been encouraged to apply for a safe gadget, also known as a lone worker gadget, which allows the user to notify police when they feel threatened.

‘The fears of MPs are real’

Former minister and Tory MP Paul Scully said the “security fears of MPs were real” on Wednesday night, and as things grew more “febrile” in the Commons, there was “genuine anger” about what the consequences could be.

“I was pretty anxious when I left parliament last night,” he told Sky News.

“Last time there was a vote on a ceasefire, one of my colleagues in the Lords got really triggered by antisemitic abuse and three cameras being shoved in his face on a tube platform.

“The protests and abuse has just escalated.

“When things like last night happen in the Commons, it is just a tinderbox.”

‘Security has had to be increased’

Senior Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge told Sky News that Muslim MPs in her party were having a “terrible, terrible time” in particular, as rows over whether to back a ceasefire raged on – and voters wanted them to take a stand.

“Security has had to be increased and people have been more guarded,” she added.

But Dame Margaret backed Sir Lindsay’s attempts to widen the debate and his drive to make MPs’ safety a “priority”.

The Jewish MP said he “talked about it a lot in the early days” when he was deputy speaker, and he was “always the person to go to” when she faced antisemitic abuse during Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure leading the Labour Party.

“If you are going to have debate, shouldn’t you put it in context and let democracy prevail?” she added.

‘He has given the impression of giving in to the mob’

However, former defence minister and Tory MP, Sir Alec Shelbrooke, said the Speaker’s actions should not be dictated by external forces.

“In my opinion, he has given in – or has given the impression that he has given in – to the rule of the mob,” he told Sky News.

“I believe he has made the lives of MPs less safe, which I categorically know was not his intention.”

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, whose mother is Palestinian, said she was subject to some racist comments after last night’s parliamentary display.

But she showed some sympathy for Sir Lindsay, telling Sky News he was “put in an impossible position by a purposefully divisive motion from the SNP”.

The MP said the “core issue” was “the lack of any co-ordination between opposition parties before the debate”, adding: “We tried to coordinate with the SNP, but they didn’t listen to us.

“We didn’t have any idea what Labour were going to do.

“And meanwhile we managed to make something so serious that affects not just Palestinians and Israelis but our streets as well into something about us.”

Politics

US Senate moves forward with GENIUS stablecoin bill

Published

2 hours ago

May 20, 2025

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US Senate moves forward with GENIUS stablecoin bill

The US Senate has voted to advance a key stablecoin-regulating bill after Democrat Senators blocked an attempt to move the bill forward earlier in May over concerns about President Donald Trump’s sprawling crypto empire.

A key procedural vote on the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, or GENIUS Act, passed in a 66-32 vote on May 20.

Several Democrats changed their votes to pass the motion to invoke cloture, which will now set the bill up for debate on the Senate floor.

Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the bill’s key backers, said on May 15 that she thinks it’s a “fair target” to have the GENIUS Act passed by May 26 — Memorial Day in the US.

Government, United States, Stablecoin — *The US Senate voted 66-32 to advance debate on the GENIUS stablecoin bill. Source:* *US Senate*

The GENIUS Act was introduced on Feb. 4 by US Senator Bill Hagerty and seeks to regulate the nearly $250 billion stablecoin market — currently dominated by Tether (USDT) and Circle’s USDC (USDC).

The bill requires stablecoins be fully backed, have regular security audits and approval from federal or state regulators. Only licensed entities can issue stablecoins, while algorithmic stablecoins are restricted.

Several Democratic senators withdrew support for the bill on May 8, blocking a motion to move it forward, citing concerns over potential conflicts of interest involving Trump’s crypto ventures and anti-money laundering provisions.

The bill was revised soon after to receive enough bipartisan support to proceed to a vote.

Hagerty’s stablecoin bill builds on the discussion draft he submitted for former Representative Patrick McHenry’s Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act in October.

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Politics

DOJ is investigating Coinbase data breach— Report

Published

6 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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DOJ is investigating Coinbase data breach— Report

The US Department of Justice is reportedly conducting a probe over Coinbase’s contracted customer service agents in India, who accepted bribes in exchange for allowing criminals access to user data.

According to a May 19 Bloomberg report, DOJ investigators are looking into the data breach, which Coinbase disclosed to the public on May 15. The exchange reported that a group of customer support contractors — subsequently fired — “abused their access to […] systems to steal the account data for a small subset of customers.”

“We have notified and are working with the DOJ and other US and international law enforcement agencies and welcome law enforcement’s pursuit of criminal charges against these bad actors,” said Coinbase’s chief legal officer, Paul Grewal, according to Bloomberg.

Though “no passwords, private keys, or funds were exposed” according to Coinbase, the data breach resulted in social engineering attacks targeting users, including a Sequoia Capital partner, with losses estimated at up to $400 million. The attackers also attempted to extort $20 million from Coinbase in exchange for not disclosing the breach, which the company refused.

Backlash in the courts

The attempted social engineering attacks have resulted in Coinbase users filing several lawsuits against the exchange, alleging that the company mishandled their personal data. One user, a retired artist named Ed Suman, reported losing $2 million to the scammers.

Coinbase’s stock price fluctuated following the news of the breach and an unrelated probe from the US Securities and Exchange Commission over its reported “verified user” numbers. Cointelegraph reached out to Coinbase for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

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Politics

What to expect at Trump’s memecoin dinner

Published

6 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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What to expect at Trump’s memecoin dinner

On May 22, US President Donald Trump is expected to host up to 220 people who had purchased the most significant quantities of his memecoin at a private event in Washington, DC.

Though the exact number of attendees was unknown as of May 19, reports and blockchain data have revealed some of the tokenholders who qualified to apply for the May 22 dinner and “VIP tour” and reception, presumed to be in the White House. Bloomberg reported on May 7 that more than half of the 220 wallets were likely controlled by foreign nationals.

Among the memecoin dinner applicants, who likely still face background checks ahead of getting a confirmed appearance before the president, included Synthetix founder Kain Warwick, a consultant named Vincent Deriu, and crypto user Morten Christensen, who reportedly only paid $1,200 for the opportunity.

Others included a World Liberty Financial adviser going by the pseudonym “Ogle,” and a representative from the Singapore-based startup MemeCore. Cointelegraph has also learned that Vincent Liu, chief investment officer of the Taiwan-based company Kronos Research, plans to attend.

Trump’s memecoin, even before the announced dinner and reception, was criticized by many members of Congress.

Some lawmakers said the president was opening the White House up to potential bribes and conflicts of interest by allowing people, perhaps tied to foreign governments, to put money directly into his pockets without transparency.

Interfering with stablecoin, market structure bills

The controversy has spilled over into proposed legislation connected to digital assets, including a bill in the Senate aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins and a draft market structure bill in the House of Representatives. Some Democrats said they would not support any legislation until “Trump’s crypto corruption” was addressed.

Law, Politics, United States, Donald Trump, Memecoin — *May 14 BlueSky post on Trump memecoin. Source:* *Elizabeth Warren*

“Democrats are thinking that this is just an official means by which to conduct corruption,” said Rebecca Liao, co-founder and CEO of layer-1 blockchain Saga, in a statement shared with Cointelegraph. “What began as a bipartisan bill with potential widespread support has now transformed into a proxy war between the Democrats and the Trump administration.”

Some organizations have planned protests during the memecoin dinner on May 22. The Democratic Party’s arm in Arlington, Virginia, announced its members would gather to oppose those in the White House “cashing in on their public office.” Cointelegraph reached out to the organization for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Buying influence, or just speculating on an emerging market?

The top 220 tokenholders reportedly spent a combined $148 million to have the opportunity to attend the event, which finalized its leaderboard on May 12. However, anyone with a wallet can still buy TRUMP tokens and potentially influence the president’s policies after the dinner is completed.

“The decision to acquire the [TRUMP] token was not political,” Vincent Liu of Kronos Research, who plans on attending the memecoin dinner, told Cointelegraph. “It was based on identifying early momentum, cultural relevance, and potential market catalysts.”

In April, Freight Technologies said it would invest $20 million in the TRUMP token, suggesting that it could affect the president’s trade policies between the US and Mexico, where the firm conducts some of its business. GD Culture Group announced in May that the memecoin would be included in its plans for a $300-million crypto reserve.

“The issue is the conflict of interest between the Trump family’s crypto investments and the administration’s pivot toward crypto-friendly policies,” said Liao. “The Trump family has very openly invested in crypto and has started their own crypto ventures. This has created a perception problem where policy shifts favoring cryptocurrency could be viewed as self-enrichment rather than in the national interest.”

If the stablecoin bill, the GENIUS Act, is the first test for how Republicans and Democrats will respond to Trump’s potential conflicts of interest in the crypto industry, there is already a stark contrast between the two parties.

House Speaker Mike Johnson largely brushed off concerns about the president and his family’s connections to the industry, saying he was “not an expert in that.” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly reportedly said there were “no conflicts of interest” because Trump’s children managed his assets through a trust.

Lawmakers are expected to take up a vote on the GENIUS Act in a matter of days, possibly before the memecoin dinner and reception are held. At the time of publication, it was unclear whether Republicans intended to address some of the Democrats’ concerns around Trump and crypto, or move forward with a vote with no significant changes to the bill.

Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions