SOUTH Swindon MP Robert Buckland has hit out after receiving a “torrent” of social media abuse.

The politician was targeted on Facebook, after posting an image of a tweet by Conservative campaigner Amandeep Singh Bhogal accusing Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn of practicing “racist” politics.

It followed a Mail on Sunday story published this weekend about the party charging white audience members at an East Midlands Labour conference next month £10 more per ticket.

Responding to that accusation, a Labour spokesman said: “The basic price of a conference pass is the same for all members but, at the request of our East Midlands Regional Board, the party will subsidise part of the cost of this year’s conference pass for [Black, Asian and minority ethnic] members to encourage attendance and improve representation.”

The thumbnail picture used by the Mail to promote their story online was taken at a Labour Party event in Swindon on Saturday, featuring MP hopeful Sarah Church and Councillor Jim Grant.

Sharing the news story, Mr Buckland said that discrimination based on the colour of their skin was “outrageous”.

The post has received more than 60 comments. Labour’s Sarah Church warned that it was “misleading” to use the picture from the Swindon event, saying “I don’t believe in charging according to ethnic background. Simple.”

Becky Poole accused the MP of using “smear tactics”, while a comment from Keith O’Brien read: “U ALL LIER’S [sic] BUMS ON FIER’S [sic]”. 

In a Facebook post shared this morning, Mr Buckland said he had received a “torrent of abuse”. 

He wrote: “I’m not threatened, I’m just ashamed that these views still exist and are encouraged in our country. We must stand against this evil, protect our freedom of speech and always champion our democracy.”

Over the weekend, Conservative councillors in Old Town said that they had come in for abuse on social media. 

Responding to those claims, Labour’s leader in Swindon, Coun Jim Grant, said: “I would join all calls for an end to personal abuse and bullying on social media. People should be able to use social media without fear of being personally insulted.”