Tragic MP Sir David Amess raised the alarm over “increasing attacks” on MPs in the wake of fellow MP Jo Cox’s “barbaric” killing in 2016.
The brutal death of 69-year-old Sir David, after he was stabbed multiple times at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea on Friday, will reignite the debate over the safety of MPs.
The Conservative backbencher is the second MP to be killed in just over five years, following Jo Cox’s death in 2016 during the Brexit referendum campaign.
Her murder came six years after Labour MP Stephen Timms was stabbed at his constituency surgery. He survived and his attacker was jailed.
And in 2000, Andrew Pennington, an aide to Lib Dem MP Nigel Jones, was stabbed to death after he leapt to protect Mr Jones who was being attacked with a samurai sword – also at a constituency surgery.
Sir David recently wrote in his book Ayes & Ears: A Survivor’s Guide to Westminster – published last November – how Mrs Cox was attacked “in the most barbaric fashion imaginable”.
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“She was a young woman going about her duties as we all do, completely unaware of the threat she faced,” he said.
“While it is often said that good can come out of someone’s death, it is difficult to see what good can come from this senseless murder.”
He said “increasing attacks” on MPs, both online and in person, had “spoilt the great British tradition” of voters meeting politicians.
He also revealed he had experienced “nuisance from the odd member of the general public” at his own property.
He said: “We regularly check our locks and many others have CCTV installed but probably the most significant change has been with constituency surgeries.”
He added: “In short, these increasing attacks have rather spoiled the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians.”
He said an “equally worrying development” had been the “fallout from social media”.
“Many MPs find themselves bullied online,” he said. “The police have enough to do without patrolling social media, but members are advised they should always alert the police whenever threats to their safety are made.
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“My frustration is with the law governing social media generally. I think it is ridiculous that media sites host abusive comments in reaction to stories about an individual without there being any requirement for the individual to leave their name and address.
Writing about the attack on Lib Dem Mr Jones, Sir David said: “We all make ourselves readily available to our constituents and are often dealing with members of the public who have mental health problems, it could happen to any of us.”
About security, he said: “We regularly check our locks and many others have CCTV cameras installed but probably the most significant change has been with constituency surgeries.
“The British tradition has always been that Members of Parliament regularly make themselves available for constituents to meet them face to face at their surgeries.
“Now advice has been given to be more careful when accepting appointments.
“We are advised to never see people alone, we must be extra careful when opening post and we must ensure that our offices are properly safe and secure.
“In short, these increasing attacks have rather spoilt the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians.”
Asked whether Sir David’s death highlighted a problem with MPs’ security, Boris Johnson said: “I am sure that all those issues will be considered in the proper time.”
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Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle placed MPs’ security at the centre of last month’s(OCT) G7 Speakers’ summit which he hosted in Chorley, Lancs.
He said Sir David’s murder “will send shockwaves across the parliamentary community and the whole country”.
Sir Lindsay added: “In the coming days we will need to discuss and examine MPs’ security and any measures to be taken, but for now, our thoughts and prayers are with David’s family, friends and colleagues.”
A spokesman for Priti Patel said the Home Secretary would be asking all police forces to review MPs’ security.
He said: “This afternoon, the Home Secretary chaired a meeting of the Police, Security and Intelligence Agencies to discuss the tragic incident in Southend and the ongoing response. She also spoken to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
“The Home Secretary has asked all police forces to review security arrangements for MPs with immediate effect and will provide updates in due course.”
MPs on the parliamentary estate are protected by dozens of armed and unarmed police and security guards.
Heavy iron gates, barriers to prevent car bombs and officers with sub-machine guns keep safe more than 3,000 passholders, including MPs, their staff, caterers and journalists who work in the Palace of Westminster.
But once MPs leave the estate, they become as vulnerable as any other member of public – more so, in fact.
They often advertise, as Sir David had this week on Twitter and his website, where and when they will hold surgeries so constituents can bring them their issues.
Former Cabinet Minister Lord Eric Pickles said that the risk involved with being an MP was “part of the job”.
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He warned that if politicians distanced themselves too much from the public then “democracy itself” would be affected.
“David had an open house routine (for his surgery) because you want to help people but… if we’re being really blunt, sometimes it attracts obsessives,” the peer told Sky News.
“You need to have a degree of circumspection.
“It’s part of the job, it’s something you sign up to… It’s tragic, it’s dreadful, but it’s not normal.
“It happens and it may be that Members of Parliament take the basic precaution of getting a name and address before they see somebody or getting an outline of a case before they see somebody.
“We live in an age where sometimes you have to take a risk – no-one expects you to die, but you don’t expect it to be entirely risk free.
“A doctor or nurse doesn’t expect things to be risk free, even in teaching you’re taking some risks.
“When you’re dealing with people who are very emotional, who feel like the system has let them down, often they’re looking for someone to blame.
“But if we close up shop and disappear behind a security bubble then it’s democracy itself that will be the lesser thing.”
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