THE abuse being directed at some our MPs does not just harm them but it harms all of us.

We need to encourage the sharpest minds to become our elected representatives but any prospective MP would be forgiven for wondering if the job is worth the hassle.

The murder of MP Jo Cox was the most extreme example of a very worrying trend that has seen women in the public eye, especially politicians, subjected to vile abuse. You might have thought that the death of Mrs Cox would have brought people to their senses. Outside of political circles and her West Yorkshire constituency she was relatively unknown until last week’s shocking incident made the mum of two a household name as well as an inspiration of a £1m plus charity drive and reminded us that most MPs are decent people trying to make a difference.

On the day after Mrs Cox’s death, however, a message was left on the Echo’s website that threatened a North-East MP.

Four days later, Labour MP Yvette Cooper retweeted an online message that she had been sent warning her to stop emailing pro-EU messages "or I will kill your kids and grandkids".

These morons are not just operating online. In today’s Echo we report that police have launched an investigation into sickening graffiti daubed onto a garage door that referred to Mrs Cox in a threatening message.

Most MPs enter politics with good intentions and carry out their duties as best they can. They make mistakes, annoy us with their catcalling across the House of Commons, but they are fundamental to our democracy.

They are 'all as bad as each other', and are 'only in it for themselves' are phrases commonly bandied about by people who say they have lost faith in MPs. The Echo does not share this kind of reductive thinking.

We need to create an environment where young people feel safe to enter politics. The attacks they are facing affect us all because they are attacks to our democracy.