An MP says she has received “threats of death and violence” over a video posted by a neighbouring MP, which she labelled “misleading” and “irresponsible”.
Anna Dixon has accused her constituency neighbour of having “personally inflamed hatred against me” in a video he posted on Facebook, regarding her position on calls for local and national inquiries into grooming gangs.
The Labour MP for Shipley, who was first elected last year, said Robbie Moore, a Conservative, had demonstrated “irresponsible behaviour” by posting “blatant misinformation about a colleague”.
In a lengthy message on social media, Ms Dixon wrote: “I want local residents to be aware that I have received threats of death and violence directly posted in response to a misleading video recently shared by the MP for Keighley and Ilkley, Robbie Moore.
“These have been reported to the police, and an investigation is currently underway.
“Other responses to his post have subjected me to misogynistic abuse and made deeply offensive claims against me – he has chosen to let these remain public in the comments section on his social media.”
What does the video say?
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Mr Moore first posted the video on social media on Wednesday, 20 August.
Above the video, he wrote: “Wow. Shipley’s Labour MP Anna Dixon is ‘misleading public’ [sic] on grooming gangs inquiry.
“Anna is telling constituents she voted against an inquiry because it was a ‘political stunt’. But a closer look at the facts shows Anna has been dismissing calls for an inquiry since day one… Your voice – or just another voice protecting Bradford’s Labour Party?”
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The film is a little under two minutes long and examines Ms Dixon’s position in the style of a news video, with a voice-over referring to “our investigation” and starts by announcing that she “isn’t telling you the truth”. It also uses clips from a BBC Politics North episode, which Ms Dixon appeared on, as well as extracts from an email.
The video claims that Ms Dixon has been misleading the public about her reasons for voting against plans for a national inquiry into grooming gangs, and alleges that she has always been opposed to one from when she was first elected.
Responding to the video on Saturday, Ms Dixon wrote: “In putting out misleading information online in relationship to my position on child grooming gangs he has personally inflamed hatred against me, and in responding to constituents he has doubled down and repeated the attacks against me.
“We must always put victims and survivors first when it comes to tackling the horrific crime of child sexual exploitation – this issue should never be used to make personal attacks based on party politics.”
The Labour backbencher added: “Group-based child sexual exploitation, committed by grooming gangs, is one of the most despicable and damaging crimes imaginable. I fully support all efforts by [the] government and West Yorkshire Police to bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice.”
She referenced how she has sought to tackle the issue by speaking about it in the Commons and meeting with survivors.
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Ms Dixon added that she has “always been transparent and direct with constituents”, and that she was “shocked by the claim made in the video” that she would oppose a focus on the Bradford district in any national inquiry into grooming gangs.
She stated that the Tory MP’s video selectively quotes an email she wrote, leaving out the sentence: “If the national inquiry deems that another local inquiry is needed in Bradford, this is something I and the Local Authority will fully support.”
What is the argument fundamentally about?
It appears the origin of the argument is Ms Dixon’s decision in January 2025 to vote against an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
The Conservatives scheduled what Ms Dixon has called a “wrecking amendment” to the bill, which called for a national inquiry into grooming gangs. But voting for this amendment would have “effectively killed the bill, which aimed to enhance safeguards for children”, Ms Dixon said.
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Mr Moore, who is the shadow environment secretary, has said this is not the real reason that Ms Dixon voted against the amendment, and claims that instead, she is opposed to a national inquiry altogether.
Sir Keir Starmer announced in June that there would be a national inquiry into grooming gangs, after spending several months resisting calls to do so.
Ms Dixon has said she believes Mr Moore has disrespected her and fallen below the standards expected of MPs.
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She said: “It is one thing to engage in lively debate on party policies in parliament or on TV, but to launch such a personal attack against a neighbouring MP falls well below the standards expected of parliamentarians.
“I am disturbed by Robbie Moore’s seeming willingness to spread misinformation on this scale with his constituents and beyond, particularly when it pertains to such a serious issue.”
She has called on both her own constituents and Mr Moore’s to condemn “these actions in the strongest possible terms”.
The video is ‘not a personal attack’ but highlights ‘legitimate concerns’
Mr Moore has told Sky News that he “utterly condemns any threats of violence” and has previously had armed police come to his house in the middle of the night due to a death threat.
He said his video is “not a personal attack”, but “raises legitimate concerns” about her public position on a grooming inquiry in Bradford. He added: “I have been fighting for an inquiry since being elected in 2019 and have been clear that this is not a political issue.”
The shadow minister continued: “We are now in a situation in Bradford where victims and survivors and leading child abuse lawyers are desperately calling for a focus on Bradford in the grooming gangs inquiry, with a sitting Labour peer explicitly saying there has been a cover-up inside Bradford Council.
“The fact that the MP for Shipley does not and, from her public comments today, still does not unequivocally support a focus on Bradford in this national inquiry is both a newsworthy and legitimate concern.”
