Politicians pay their respects at Sir David Amess’s crime scene
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer are visiting Leigh-on-sea after yesterday’s fatal stabbing of MP Sir David Amess during a meeting with constituents.
As reported by the BBC, the two leaders – alongside Home Secretary Priti Patel and House of Commons’ speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle – laid flowers and paid their respects at Belfairs Methodist Church, where Amess died after being stabbed multiple times.
Both the Prime Minister and the Labour leader paid tributes to the MP, with Johnson saying that he was “one of kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics. He also had an outstanding record of passing laws to help the most vulnerable.”
The Prime Minister described Sir David Amess’s as “a fine parlamentarian”, highlighting his political track record, from his stance against animal cruelty to his fight to end fuel poverty and help people suffering from endometriosis.
Starmer highlighted how the Catholic faith was a main driver in the MP’s public life and “was highly respected across Parliament, within the church and in the Christian community.”
“Let us come together in response to these horrendous events,” he added. “We will show once more that violence, intimidation and threats to our democracy will never prevail over the tireless commitment of public servants simply doing their jobs.”
As reported by the BBC, Home Secretary Priti Patel called Amess a “dear and loyal friend” who was “just a passionate advocate and champion for Southend”, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan called him a “brilliant, kind, dedicated public servant, widely liked and respected across the political divide.”
Sir David Amess died yesterday afternoon during his constituency surgery. A 25-year-old man was immediately arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody, with Metropolitan Police declaring it an act of terrorism. Early police investigations have linked Amess’s murder to “Islamist extremism”.
Amess, 69, is not the first MP in the last few years to tragically die while on the job. Labour MP Jo Cox was killed in June 2016 by a far-right extremist while on her way to meet her constituents.
Just like what happened after Jo Cox’s murder, Sir David Amess’s murder sparked conversations regarding MPs’ safety.
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, who tried to safe the policeman stabbed to death in the 2018 Westminster attack, has called for MPs to stop holding face to face surgeries for the time being.
He said on Twitter: “Until the Home Secretary’s review of MP security I would recommend a temporary pause to face to face meetings.”
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said there will need to be a discussion in the coming days around MPs’ security and any measures to be taken, while Priti Patel has asked all police forces to review security arrangements for MPs “with immediate effect”.