A man has been jailed for physically threatening to kill Ed Miliband. Michael Donaldson, 56, accosted the former Labour leader in a street in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and started shouting death threats at him and two members of his staff. Mr Miliband, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, and his staff were left ‘shaken’ by the actions of Donaldson, prosecutors said.
The CPS said Donaldson appeared intoxicated and was behaving erratically and quickly left the area. He was arrested later that day and continued to make offensive comments about the MP, though tried to play down the incident as a “joke†to police officers. Donaldson pleaded guilty to one count of making threats to kill at Sheffield Crown Court in May and was today been jailed for three years by the same court.
Shaun Sigamoney, of the CPS, said: “Michael Donaldson threatened Mr Miliband, despite his effort to play down the incident as a joke or drunken foolishness. His actions have no place in a civilised society. Neither Mr Miliband nor his members of staff should have been subjected to such vitriol – it is completely unacceptable.
“Members of Parliament play a vital role in our democracy – those who engage in this criminal behaviour will face the consequences of their actions.â€