UK PM visits area where MP was stabbed to death
LEIGH-ON-SEA, ENGLAND: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday laid flowers outside the church where a lawmaker was stabbed to death a day earlier, in what police say was a terrorist attack probably linked to Islamist extremism.
The attack on David Amess, from Johnson’s Conservative Party, comes five years after the murder of Jo Cox, a lawmaker from the opposition Labour Party, and has prompted a review of the security of elected politicians.
Amess, 69, was knifed repeatedly in the attack at about midday on Friday in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, during a meeting with constituents.
Police arrested a 25-year-old British man at the scene on suspicion of murder, adding it is believed he acted alone.
In a statement early on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police described the attack as terrorism and said the early investigation “has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism”. It did not provide any details about the basis for that assessment.
Johnson, interior minister Priti Patel, and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer were among those to lay flowers in tribute to Amess at the scene of the murder.“To the memory of Sir David Amess MP, a fine parliamentarian and a much-loved colleague and friend,” Johnson said in a hand-written note placed in the flowers, adding in a Twitter post that his thoughts were with Amess’ family and friends.
Security under review
As tributes poured in for Amess, politicians described the attack as an assault on democracy, and Patel said security for lawmakers, known as MPs, was being reviewed and strengthened.
“All measures are being put in place for the security of MPs so that they can carry on with their duties as elected democratic members,” Patel said after the visit. “We live in an open society, a democracy. We cannot be cowed by any individual.”
In Westminster, where lawmakers do much of their work in parliament, armed police are on patrol. But in their electoral districts, known as constituencies, more often than not there is no security.
Amess was stabbed while holding a surgery - one-to-one meetings with voters, open to whoever turns up. As part of the investigation, officers were searching two locations in the London area, the police force said.