Man who threatened to 'skin' Chancellor Rachel Reeves in sexist email rant facing jail

Published: 16:17, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 16:20, 18 August 2026 A man has been warned he faces jail after emailing a sexist rant to Rachel Reeves in which he threatened to ‘skin’ her. Peter Roberts, 40, sent the message in November 2024, four months after Reeves became Chancellor. A Parliamentary aide opened the email, which began: ‘Hello, I hear you have taken money from a bank account that doesn’t belong to you.’ A series of foul-mouthed insults followed, which included several references that wrongly stated Ms Reeves was Jewish. Roberts, of Haverhill in Suffolk, also complained about people being ‘stupid enough to think a woman being in this role is a good thing’. Peter Roberts, 40, has admitted sending an an offensive or menacing message by a public communication network to the then Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in November 2024 The email ended with Roberts threatening to ‘skin’ Ms Reeves, who was sacked as Chancellor last month by Andy Burnham and replaced by John Healey. Roberts appeared at Suffolk Magistrates Court yesterday where he admitted sending an offensive or menacing message by a public communication network. He claimed sending the email was a mistake which he wanted to ‘put behind’ him. When District Judge Matthew Bone told him he was considering putting him behind bars at the next hearing, he asked: ‘Is that really necessary?’ Judge Bone replied it was ‘absolutely necessary’, adding: ‘You are not simply a keyboard warrior. ‘You are someone who has sent a very foul communication to a public servant, whether you agree with their politics or not.’ Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe, who had defected to Reform UK, was bludgeoned 21 times over the head with a hammer last month. Her alleged killer is awaiting trial MP Jo Cox died in 2016 after being shot and stabbed multiple times in the street in the village of Birstall, where she had been due to hold a constituency surgery The case comes at a time of growing concern for the safety of MPs, which began with the murder of Labour’s Jo Cox in 2016. Tory veteran Sir David Amess was murdered at a constituency surgery five years later, while former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe, who had defected to Reform UK, was bludgeoned 21 times over the head with a hammer last month. Her alleged killer is facing trial. Other MPs have complained of a barrage of threats and abuse online and panic alarms are now routinely issued to new MPs as part of Commons ‘welcome packs’. Reform UK's leader, Nigel Farage, has revealed he receives 30 death threats a week.  A statement from Sir Lindsay Hoyle was read to Suffolk Magistrates Court during Roberts’ case yesterday, in which the Commons Speaker warned of the very real fear felt by MPs from all political parties in the face of threats to them, their families, friends and staff. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle provided a statement to Suffolk Magistrates Court in which warned of the very real fear felt by MPs from all political parties This left many feeling unsafe to attend events, walk freely around their constituencies or hold open meetings, he added. Sir Lindsay stated that defendants should feel ‘the full force of the law’ when criminal charges are brought. Roberts, whose email also said that people had been indoctrinated by vaccines and would probably be dead in ten years, will be sentenced at the court on September 1. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.