A Tory peer has revealed how she was vilified as a “slut”, “whore” and “harlot” for campaigning for Britain to remain in the European Union.
Baroness Patience Wheatcroft told the House of Lords she was “stunned” by the “irrational hostility” she met when making a case to remain in the EU before the referendum vote last summer.
The former newspaper editor was speaking during the Lords’ two-day debate on the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, which, if passed, will allow Theresa May to start formal Brexit negotiations.
She told the House, the referendum had “unleashed a wave of anger and intolerance which is truly frightening and dangerous for this country.
“When I dared to voice my concerns over the outcome of the referendum, my postbag—both virtual and real—was awful. It was astonishing that people actually put stamps on those diatribes.
“There were plaintive messages from UK citizens living in Europe who now feel completely abandoned, but there were many more, branding me ‘slut’, ‘whore’, ‘harlot’, ‘scum’ and much, much worse.
“Encouraged, no doubt, by various, more vicious parts of the media.”
But she told the Lords those who believed leaving the EU would be bad for the UK must “not be intimidated by the bullies” as she said she would vote against the Bill.
She called on there to be a second referendum on the final deal reached by Ms May and her EU counterparts.
Baroness Wheatcroft’s speech came as Ms May took the unprecedented step of personally sitting in the Lords as the debate got underway.
Her presence has been read as a visual warning to peers seeking to amend or vote against the legislation.
The Bill was passed unamended by a majority of 372 MPs earlier this month.
