Heather Davey
Conservative MP, Sir David Amess, has died after a fatal stabbing at his local constituency, Leigh-on-Sea.
Sir David Amess, 68, of Essex, has died in a stabbing. Emergency services attended a scene yesterday afternoon, after a stabbing had been reported. Amess was heading for a constituency surgery before being attacked in broad daylight.
The injuries that Amess sustained were fatal and medics announced him dead on the scene, at Belfairs Church, Eastwood Road North.
Essex police received a call about the incident at 12:05pm on Friday, 15 October. A 25-year-old man is under arrest on suspicion of murder and terrorist activity. No further inquiries to suspects are being pursued. However, a statement from Essex Police has confirmed that people in the area are not at immediate risk:
“We made it clear at the time of the incident that we did not believe there was any immediate threat to anyone else in the area.”
An investigation is being led by Essex Police, whilst the Department of Counter Terrorism works closely with them, in order to find details of the attack and to identify the motive behind it.
‘One of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics.’ – Prime Minister
The tragic death of Sir David has prompted conversation regarding the safety of MPs, shaking those working in Parliament. Sir David Amess served as a Member of Parliament for over 38 years: Basildon, 1983-1997 and Southend West 1997-2021 and throughout his career maintained an excellent reputation.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke out on Friday’s tragedy. In an online tribute he said: “he was one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics”.
Many more political figures have been sharing their words in homage to Sir David on social media, including Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge.
MP safety is to be reviewed by Police
The murder of David Amess isn’t exclusive. The murder of MP Jo Cox, in 2016, reads with great similarity. Five years ago, a man murdered the Labour MP in West Yorkshire, where she was meeting with the local constituency. Her death saw a rise in Parliamentary spending towards MP safety measures and campaigns to improve safety on Britain’s streets. Despite this, violence and extreme behaviour is still being displayed towards MPs, especially for those working in their local constituency areas.
Now Priti Patel, Home Secretary, is calling for a police review. She wants MP’s security to be looked at with immediate effect.
“The whole country will feel it, perhaps the more so because we have, heartbreakingly, been here before”, said Keir Starmer.
Sir David Amess was a husband, father and devoted politician, killed in an attack fuelled by politics. The murder is being treated as a terrorist attack and investigation is ongoing.
Featured image courtesy of Number 10 via Flickr. Image license can be found here. No changes have been made to this image.
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