Suspected arson at MP Mike Freer's office concerning, No 10 says

A suspected arson attack at the office of Conservative MP Mike Freer is "clearly concerning", No 10 has said.

A spokeswoman for the prime minister said it was "critical" that MPs could carry out their work "without fear".

She said there was "no place for antisemitism in this country" but could not comment on whether the fire was started in protest against Mr Freer's stance on the Israel-Gaza war.

Fire crews were called to the office in north London on Christmas Eve.

Mr Freer, whose Finchley and Golders Green constituency is home to a large Jewish community, said the attack may have been related to his pro-Israel stance.

The Metropolitan Police said the fire happened at about 19:00 GMT in a shed at the MP's office in Ballards Lane, Finchley.

Mr Freer told Sky News on Tuesday that a police investigation would look into whether the fire was started by "someone bearing a grudge" or if there were "slightly more nefarious motives".

"I've had too many incidents in the past where I've been attacked because of my views on the Middle East," he said.

"But also many of my constituents have had similar incidents so it is not an unknown incident in Golders Green.

"When something flares in the Middle East, the level of attacks in my local area do go up, so sadly it could be to do with my views on the Middle East."

Mr Freer has represented the constituency since 2010 and is parliamentary under-secretary at the Ministry of Justice.

Last year, Mr Freer told the Old Bailey he and his staff decided to wear stab vests and carry panic alarms after learning that Ali Harbi Ali, who went on to kill Southend West MP Sir David Amess, had first carried out reconnaissance at his Finchley office.

Rishi Sunak's spokeswoman said she was limited in what she could say about the attack because of an ongoing investigation.

"It is clearly concerning and the prime minister's thoughts are with Mike Freer and his team," she said.

"Speaking more broadly, it is critical that MPs and their staff are able to perform their parliamentary duties safely and without fear.

"You will know that MP security is always kept under constant review."

There has been a marked increase in antisemitic incidents recorded in the UK, along with a spike in Islamophobic incidents following the Hamas attacks on October 7.

On Wednesday, police said there had been no significant updates in the case.

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