The British Conservative Party deputy David Amess, 69, died this Friday after receiving several stab wounds while attending an act with voters in his constituency of Southend West, in the county of Essex, as confirmed by the police in this region. Parliamentarians in the House of Commons usually hold weekly calls surgeries, some sessions with the voters of their particular constituency in which they attend to complaints or petitions. After more than a year of social restrictions due to the pandemic, it was only a few weeks ago that the deputies had returned to this practice.
Amess was at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea when an individual suddenly broke in and started stabbing the politician. “We have been advised of a possible stabbing north of Eastwood Road shortly after 12:05 PM (1:05 PM PST). An individual was immediately arrested, and no other suspect is being sought, ”Essex police reported. The arrested man was 25 years old and is currently in police custody.
The meeting with the deputy was announced on his social networks. Ammes represented that constituency for almost 40 years. In 2015 he received the honorary title of knight, which allows him to use the sir in front of your name. Known Eurosceptic, he actively participated in the campaign in favor of Brexit of the 2016 referendum. He later joined the political group Leave Means Leave (Exit Means Exit) that maintained pressure on the Conservative Government to complete the exit from the EU. He was also a staunch defender of animal rights, and was active in the campaign against the British tradition of fox hunting with dogs and horses. Raised as a Catholic in a predominantly Anglican country, Ammes was one of the parliamentarians most strongly opposed to pro-abortion legislation. The Conservative deputy was married and had five children.
My next constituency surgery will be taking place on Friday 15th October at Belfairs Methodist Church, 251 Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 4NG.
To book an appointment please email [email protected] or call 020 7219 3452 pic.twitter.com/aHhxWPrXXi
– Sir David Amess MP (@amessd_southend) October 12, 2021
Several eyewitnesses say that an ambulance arrived at the scene, where Amess received medical attention. The anti-terrorist unit of the police has already joined the investigation of what happened, as reported by the newspaper The Guardian. Under the usual procedure, they will remain attached to the case until a cause of the crime other than terrorism is clearly established.
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With this, there are already two incidents of similar characteristics in just five years. Labor MP Jo Cox was also holding a meeting with voters during the 2016 referendum, when she was stabbed to death by a far-right militant. His death shocked a country that had already entered a drift of bitter division because of Brexit. “All of this brings back the memories,” her widower, Brendan Cox, wrote on Twitter. “The pain, the loss, but also the immense love of the citizens. I hope we do the same now for David. “
“David Amess was a man who passionately believed in this country and its future. We have lost a great public servant and a valued colleague, ”Prime Minister Boris Johnson said through a short interview recorded in Downing Street. Flags have flown at half mast since early Friday afternoon at 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s residence and office, and at the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British Parliament.
Amess’s death has sparked an immense flow of reactions, both from the ranks of his fellow Conservatives and from the Labor opposition. Shocking and terrifying news. My thoughts are with David, his family and his assistants ”, has written the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer. “The worst thing about violence is its lack of humanity. Steal the joy of the world and take away our loved ones. Today she has taken a father, a husband and a highly respected colleague, ”wrote Economy Minister Rishi Sunak. “David and I entered Parliament together in 1983,” said former Prime Minister Tony Blair in a public statement: “Even though we were political rivals, I always found him a courteous, decent colleague who was appreciated by everyone in the House. Today is a terrible day for our democracy ”.
There have been similar incidents of violence in other sessions with voters of this type, which have raised questions about a political gathering format that favors closeness to voters, but leaves the politician defenseless. Any citizen can freely access these meetings. In 2010, Labor Stephen Timms was stabbed twice by a radical student. In 2000, Andrew Pennington, an aide to Liberal Democrat Nigel Jones, was killed trying to protect his boss from a deranged man who broke into the premises with a sword.
The speaker (Speaker) of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, has announced for the next few days an analysis on the need to reinforce the security of the deputies: “This incident is going to have a huge impact among the parliamentary community and throughout the country. . In the coming days, we will discuss and examine the necessary security measures that must be taken to protect the deputies, ”Hole said in a public statement.
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