The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating a suspected arson incident at the constituency office of Conservative MP Mike Freer in North London, which occurred around 7pm Sunday night. Freer, who represents Finchley and Golders Green – which has a very large Orthodox Jewish community – and serves as a justice minister, was not present at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Freer described the fire, which originated in a shed at the rear of his office in Finchley and caused damage to the building, as one of several worrying incidents he has encountered. Notably, in 2021, the individual who later murdered MP David Amess visited Freer’s office, but Freer was unexpectedly absent.

Expressing gratitude towards the police for their prompt response to the fire, Freer commented, “Thankfully I wasn’t doing my normal routine of getting through paperwork. I’m thankful the upstairs tenants weren’t in the house too, otherwise this would be a completely different story. Until the police catch the suspect, I won’t know if it was deliberate, but it’s one of many threats I’ve faced.”

The Metropolitan Police stated, “The cause of the fire is under investigation as it is believed it may have been started deliberately. Further inquiries will take place.”

Freer has taken heightened security measures since the murder of Amess, including wearing a stab vest and carrying panic alarms, Ali Harbi Ali, convicted for Amess’s murder.

Freer has been an MP since 2010 and has been a vocal supporter of Israel, including urging the government to arrange repatriation flights for Britons in Israel following Hamas’s attack on October 7.

The arson attack follows concerns raised by Labour MPs about their safety amid pro-Palestinian protests targeting their offices over the party’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

In the wake of these events, MPs considered to be at higher risk have been advised on security measures. This focus on MPs’ safety follows the 2016 murder of Labour MP Jo Cox and subsequent enhanced security measures for MPs’ homes and offices. Recently, Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, altered his constituency meeting arrangements due to security concerns, opting for a booking system over an open-invite meeting.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)