Minister followed by pro-Palestinian activist used security device to alert police

Steve Baker in the YouTube video he posted of his encounter with the activist

A minister has revealed he triggered his MP’s security device after being followed and filmed by a pro-Palestinian activist.

Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland minister, said he felt he needed to alert police because as an MP who has received death threats, “I have to assume the situation will escalate”.

Mr Baker posted a video on YouTube on Saturday of an exchange he had on the streets of his High Wycombe constituency with a male activist apparently from a group called Partners for Palestine.

The MP said the man had been following and filming him, criticising him about Gaza, as he knocked on doors to speak to constituents about Thursday’s Police and Crime Commissioner election.

In response, the MP began filming the encounter too. The video posted by Mr Baker shows the activist keeping his distance but hurling invective at the MP over the fact he had not voted for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Protester hurled invective at MP

“You’re a genocidal supporting MP, you’re an extremist, you’re a racist,” the man says. “High Wycombe won’t be tainted by the blood of the murder of the Palestinian people, and this is what you’re promoting literally.”

Later in the video, the man asks Mr Baker if he has been doing his duty in Parliament “for Israel”.

Mr Baker replies: “My duty in Parliament is to represent the people of Wycombe and for you to suggest that in some way I’m serving Israel when I go to Parliament will be seen by the vast majority of people who watch this video for what it is, which is a ridiculous state of bias.”

With the man continuing to follow him, Mr Baker activates a device around his neck which appears to connect him with a police control centre.

Sir David Amess was killed by an Islamic extremist who targeted him at his constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea – DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA WIRE

Floral tributes were laid outside Westminster to Jo Cox, who was shot and stabbed by a neo-Nazi in her Yorkshire constituency – NICK EDWARDS

The MP says: “Hello control centre, I don’t think the young man who’s with me is necessarily a threat to my physical security, he is keeping his distance.

“But we’ve got a situation arising on the street so I’d like you to stay where you are on the line please until the gentleman departs.”

Mr Baker tells the man that he is stopping him from knocking on his constituents’ doors, explaining: “I don’t think I can reasonably ask people to open their doors and talk to me when you are continuing as you are.

“I know how strongly you feel, but just again I’d appeal to you and just so the public know, the reason I’ve pressed the button on this device is because we do routinely get death threats and that’s why I’m wandering around and I’ve got the control centre on the line.

“The reason I need to walk around town with this button is that while you plainly are just following me around with this, I have to assume the situation will escalate.”

First time MP had used his ‘SOS device’

After about 15 minutes, the man stops following and Mr Baker is able to walk away.

On Saturday, the MP posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was the first time he had used his “SOS device”.

The incident comes amid heightened concern for MPs’ safety, with the Government announcing a £31 million drive in February to protect politicians amid increased threats following the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Two MPs have been murdered in the last eight years, with the Labour MP Jo Cox killed by a neo-Nazi in 2016 and the Tory MP Sir David Amess killed by an Islamist extremist in 2021.

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