A new MP who served her community for 13 years as a councilor says she has faced “extreme” hate online since winning a seat in Parliament.

Satvir Kaur, former leader of Southampton City Council, has held public office since 2011.

In July’s general election, she won the Southampton Test seat, but Kaur says she feels she has “attracted every misogynist, racist and hater” online since then.

She was speaking to BBC Radio Solent as part of their Hot Seat feature.

Presenter Louisa Hannan asked the Labor MP: “We know that unfortunately women in politics suffer a lot of abuse. Is that something you’ve come across? I mean, I know it’s still early days.”

Kaur responded by saying it had been “extreme” and that the racist abuse had been “constant, almost daily.”

“It’s more than I thought. I mean, you always understand when you’re in the public eye,” he said.

“Being a politician, you suddenly become subhuman, when all you’re really trying to do is make a positive difference to people’s lives.

“I understood it to a certain extent when I was a councilor and council leader, but I feel like since I became an MP – especially online – I feel like I’ve attracted all the misogynists, and all the racists, and all the haters out there. ”

But Kaur said the hate actually “encourages her,” adding, “I want other people from disadvantaged areas and brown girls to feel like if I can do it, they can do it.”

He added that he has a zero-tolerance policy on his social media accounts where, if someone is abusive or makes personal comments, they are immediately blocked.

She explained: “Sometimes I bite, but I really try to make an effort not to respond and ignore it because I don’t want to give it airtime.

“I don’t want to spread hate, there’s enough hate out there. I talk to people at the door and one of the things they’re really worried about is hate crime and I don’t want to promote it.”