Anti-vaxxer brother of Jeremy Corbyn arrested over ‘arson’ speech

Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy, said MPs who voted for tighter Covid restrictions should be targets

Piers Corbyn has been arrested on suspicion of encouraging people to attack MPs' offices. PA

The anti-vaxxer brother of former UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has been arrested on suspicion of encouraging people to attack MPs’ offices.

Piers Corbyn, 74, was in a video on social media criticising MPs who backed government plans to increase restrictions to limit the spread of Covid-19.

London police said on Sunday that a man in his 70s had been arrested in south London but did not identify Mr Corbyn by name.

He referred to his brother voting against the government’s plans.

"We have got to get a bit more physical," he says in the video. "It means we have to take down these lying vaccinators and we got to take down these lying MPs and things.

"We have got to hammer to death those scum, those scum who have decided to go ahead with introducing new fascism.

"You've got to get a list of them ... and if your MP is one of them, go to their offices and, well, I would recommend burning them down, OK. But I can't say that on air. I hope we're not on air."

The comments have been widely condemned. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, calling them "despicable and dangerous", and Home Secretary Priti Patel called the video "sickening".