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| David Amess latest: Priti Patel says MPs ‘cannot be cowed by any individual’ | David Amess latest: Priti Patel says MPs ‘cannot be cowed by any individual’ |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Patel was speaking in Leigh-on-Sea where PM earlier laid wreath at front of Belfairs Methodist church, where Tory MP was fatally stabbed on Friday | Patel was speaking in Leigh-on-Sea where PM earlier laid wreath at front of Belfairs Methodist church, where Tory MP was fatally stabbed on Friday |
| Labour MP for Hull East Karl Turner said there was only so far politicians could go to protect themselves from attacks without alienating constituents. | |
| He told PA news agency he has not considered suspending face-to-face meetings in the wake of Sir David Amess’ murder, having only recently resumed them after coronavirus restrictions were lifted. | |
| “I think other MPs feel more vulnerable but I think we have got to carry it on. | |
| “We have to be vigilant ourselves, that’s the truth. I’ve got CCTV in almost every room in the constituency office - I’ve always had that, even before Jo (Cox). | |
| “I think you can do as much as you can possibly do but if a knife-wielding maniac bursts into your room, what can you do about that really? | |
| “I think you’ve got to take the risk. I’m not pretending to be any kind of a hero, far from it, but I think it is a pretty bad deal if you can’t see your MP.” | |
| Labour MP Diane Abbott said she would prefer to meet constituents behind a screen to prevent possible stab attacks. | |
| But the former shadow home secretary said having constituency surgeries observed by police could risk putting people off from visiting their local MP. | But the former shadow home secretary said having constituency surgeries observed by police could risk putting people off from visiting their local MP. |
| Abbott told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “It’s very difficult. I’ve been talking to colleagues. There was one in north London who was telling me that because of death threats she had a police officer outside her advice session - and a police car, in fact. | Abbott told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “It’s very difficult. I’ve been talking to colleagues. There was one in north London who was telling me that because of death threats she had a police officer outside her advice session - and a police car, in fact. |
| “Well of course the number of people coming to see her dropped right down. | “Well of course the number of people coming to see her dropped right down. |
| “You don’t want to have a set-up which is so off-putting to ordinary people that just want help. So I wouldn’t support airport-style screening. | “You don’t want to have a set-up which is so off-putting to ordinary people that just want help. So I wouldn’t support airport-style screening. |
| “I would prefer going forward to meet constituents behind a screen, as we have now for Covid and so on – that might be quite complicated to arrange but at least you know someone’s not going to just lean over the desk and stab you, which could happen now.” | |
| Rev Clifford Newman, of Belfairs Methodist Church – where Sir David Amess was killed – said the MP held his surgery there because he wanted to be where his constituents were. | Rev Clifford Newman, of Belfairs Methodist Church – where Sir David Amess was killed – said the MP held his surgery there because he wanted to be where his constituents were. |
| He told the PA news agency: “The church is a natural place where people look to. | He told the PA news agency: “The church is a natural place where people look to. |
| “He was a person who was for the community and wanted to be in the community, and so a church is obviously a community place. | “He was a person who was for the community and wanted to be in the community, and so a church is obviously a community place. |
| “It’s a Methodist church, so it’s not like Catholic or Anglican churches, it’s much less formal, but there are pews within the church and it has a couple of community halls.” | “It’s a Methodist church, so it’s not like Catholic or Anglican churches, it’s much less formal, but there are pews within the church and it has a couple of community halls.” |
| Counter-terrorism detectives are investigating whether David Amess was specifically targeted for attack by a man who stabbed the MP multiple times, then waited for police to arrest him. | Counter-terrorism detectives are investigating whether David Amess was specifically targeted for attack by a man who stabbed the MP multiple times, then waited for police to arrest him. |
| The suspected terrorist attack just after midday on Friday, at the constituency surgery of the backbencher for Southend West, has stunned Westminster and forced a review of MPs’ security. | The suspected terrorist attack just after midday on Friday, at the constituency surgery of the backbencher for Southend West, has stunned Westminster and forced a review of MPs’ security. |
| The atrocity was assessed by senior counter-terrorism officials as being linked to a jihadist ideology because of developments in the investigation after the suspect was arrested, the Guardian understands. | The atrocity was assessed by senior counter-terrorism officials as being linked to a jihadist ideology because of developments in the investigation after the suspect was arrested, the Guardian understands. |
| These include statements the suspect allegedly made after police detained him. | These include statements the suspect allegedly made after police detained him. |
| Conservative MP Bob Blackman said he began having all his surgeries virtually or on the phone when coronavirus struck the UK and has no plans to resume in-person surgeries any time soon. | Conservative MP Bob Blackman said he began having all his surgeries virtually or on the phone when coronavirus struck the UK and has no plans to resume in-person surgeries any time soon. |
| He told the PA news agency: “I haven’t contemplated a return because I was required to shield. I’m not running any risks on Covid even though I’ve been vaccinated. | He told the PA news agency: “I haven’t contemplated a return because I was required to shield. I’m not running any risks on Covid even though I’ve been vaccinated. |
| “It’s like everything else, you’ve to think about your vulnerability. But at the same time, you want to go meet people, go to functions, go to events. | “It’s like everything else, you’ve to think about your vulnerability. But at the same time, you want to go meet people, go to functions, go to events. |
| “I think one of the issues is going to be we will be thinking twice about the types of surgeries David was holding, the drop-in surgeries.” | “I think one of the issues is going to be we will be thinking twice about the types of surgeries David was holding, the drop-in surgeries.” |
| Imam Mansoor Clarke travelled from London to lay flowers near where Sir David Amess was killed. “When an event happens like this where it attacks the fabric of our society, it’s important to regardless of creed, colour, nationality, to come together and show support,” Clarke told Sky News. “It’s so important to show that not only do we care, but we are heartbroken when something like this happens. It would be remiss of us not to come.” | Imam Mansoor Clarke travelled from London to lay flowers near where Sir David Amess was killed. “When an event happens like this where it attacks the fabric of our society, it’s important to regardless of creed, colour, nationality, to come together and show support,” Clarke told Sky News. “It’s so important to show that not only do we care, but we are heartbroken when something like this happens. It would be remiss of us not to come.” |
| A message from Dr Kieran Mullan, MP for Crewe and Norwich: | A message from Dr Kieran Mullan, MP for Crewe and Norwich: |
| The former Labour MP Paula Sheriff has said police laughed at one threat to her life they were called to investigate. | The former Labour MP Paula Sheriff has said police laughed at one threat to her life they were called to investigate. |
| Sheriff, who was MP for Dewsbury between 2015 and 2019, confirmed that the story, related in a tweet by Kirkless councillor Will Simpson, was about her office. | Sheriff, who was MP for Dewsbury between 2015 and 2019, confirmed that the story, related in a tweet by Kirkless councillor Will Simpson, was about her office. |
| Simpson wrote: “One of the death threats that was made against an MP I was working for and our team was responded to by the police by laughing at the message left. | Simpson wrote: “One of the death threats that was made against an MP I was working for and our team was responded to by the police by laughing at the message left. |
| “They thought the death threat - that we would all be shot - following Jo [Cox] being shot and swastikas being left at our staff door, was witty.” | “They thought the death threat - that we would all be shot - following Jo [Cox] being shot and swastikas being left at our staff door, was witty.” |
| Quoting Simpson’s tweet, in her own post Sheriff wrote: “This was my office. For now, we mourn our lovely friend, David Amess, but it is patently clear that different Police services offer an inconsistent approach in dealing with threats to MP’s and this must change. Death threats are never funny.” | Quoting Simpson’s tweet, in her own post Sheriff wrote: “This was my office. For now, we mourn our lovely friend, David Amess, but it is patently clear that different Police services offer an inconsistent approach in dealing with threats to MP’s and this must change. Death threats are never funny.” |
| Appropriately grey skies greeted those who attended the scene of Sir David Amess’s killing on Saturday morning, with dozens of well-wishers arriving at Belfairs Methodist church to leave flowers and otherwise pay their respects. | Appropriately grey skies greeted those who attended the scene of Sir David Amess’s killing on Saturday morning, with dozens of well-wishers arriving at Belfairs Methodist church to leave flowers and otherwise pay their respects. |
| “It’s a very sombre day,” said Robert, 69, who lives in the Belfairs area of Leigh-on-Sea, with his wife, Kay, 68. They said they did not want to give a surname because their son was outside the church at the time of the attack and was traumatised. Robert said of Amess: “He was so charitable, so present in the community: he put in an immense effort to attend all of his surgeries. [He was] just that sort of guy.” | “It’s a very sombre day,” said Robert, 69, who lives in the Belfairs area of Leigh-on-Sea, with his wife, Kay, 68. They said they did not want to give a surname because their son was outside the church at the time of the attack and was traumatised. Robert said of Amess: “He was so charitable, so present in the community: he put in an immense effort to attend all of his surgeries. [He was] just that sort of guy.” |
| The Conservative MP was fatally stabbed while holding a constituency surgery at the church on Friday. His visibility in the community and charity efforts, including on behalf of Belfairs riding school, which provided horse-riding for disabled people, was a recurrent theme in the conversations taking place outside. | The Conservative MP was fatally stabbed while holding a constituency surgery at the church on Friday. His visibility in the community and charity efforts, including on behalf of Belfairs riding school, which provided horse-riding for disabled people, was a recurrent theme in the conversations taking place outside. |
| Amess’s championing of human rights was praised in a tribute left near the scene of the stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea. | Amess’s championing of human rights was praised in a tribute left near the scene of the stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea. |
| The Labour party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has tweeted a tribute to David Amess today. | The Labour party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has tweeted a tribute to David Amess today. |
| The Labour MP Naz Shah, who has previously been targeted with racist abuse, said there was “no right or wrong answer” over whether or not MPs should continue holding their surgeries. | The Labour MP Naz Shah, who has previously been targeted with racist abuse, said there was “no right or wrong answer” over whether or not MPs should continue holding their surgeries. |
| Shah, who represents the Bradford West constituency, told PA Media: | Shah, who represents the Bradford West constituency, told PA Media: |
| She added that she had been contacted by officers who are part of Operation Bridger, a nationwide police protective security operation, and they had been “amazing” towards her. | She added that she had been contacted by officers who are part of Operation Bridger, a nationwide police protective security operation, and they had been “amazing” towards her. |
| However, she declined to say what measures were being taken to protect her. | However, she declined to say what measures were being taken to protect her. |
| “For me, the more we talk about what measures we’re taking, the more it raises our risk,” she said. | “For me, the more we talk about what measures we’re taking, the more it raises our risk,” she said. |
| Former minister Chris Skidmore said he has continued to hold face-to-face constituency surgeries despite someone previously being put behind bars for threatening to kill him, PA Media reports. | Former minister Chris Skidmore said he has continued to hold face-to-face constituency surgeries despite someone previously being put behind bars for threatening to kill him, PA Media reports. |
| The Conservative MP for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire said he holds two types of surgeries: one where verified constituents book to see him at his office and a second where he holds drop-in sessions, including at supermarkets where shoppers are invited to talk to their MP over the shop tannoy. | The Conservative MP for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire said he holds two types of surgeries: one where verified constituents book to see him at his office and a second where he holds drop-in sessions, including at supermarkets where shoppers are invited to talk to their MP over the shop tannoy. |
| Skidmore, a former universities minister, said: | Skidmore, a former universities minister, said: |
| PA Media reports that a joint statement from all of Southend’s mosques has condemned the fatal stabbing of David Amess as an “indefensible atrocity”. | PA Media reports that a joint statement from all of Southend’s mosques has condemned the fatal stabbing of David Amess as an “indefensible atrocity”. |
| Faith leaders said the father-of-five was an “upstanding friend to our Muslim community” and attended key events, including weddings, mosque openings and the launch of the town’s first Muslim Scout group. | Faith leaders said the father-of-five was an “upstanding friend to our Muslim community” and attended key events, including weddings, mosque openings and the launch of the town’s first Muslim Scout group. |
| In the statement published on the Essex Jamme Masjid website, on behalf of “all Southend mosques”, they said their thoughts and prayers were with Amess’s family, friends and colleagues. | In the statement published on the Essex Jamme Masjid website, on behalf of “all Southend mosques”, they said their thoughts and prayers were with Amess’s family, friends and colleagues. |
| It read: | It read: |