TWIGG VOWS ‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’ AFTER KILLING OF MP JO COX
DEREK Twigg has said that he will not compromise on the democratic convention of constituents being able to meet their MP after Labour’s Jo Cox was shot dead last Thursday.
The Halton MP said that police had contacted him after Mrs Cox’s death outside her constituency surgery in Birstall in West Yorkshire and asked him if he needed to raise any issues.
He said that although he would review security, contact with residents would not change.
Mr Twigg, who holds about four constituency surgeries a month, said that he had been in touch with the police in the past over threatening behaviour and added that MPs’ staff can also face problems.
Politic cians from all areas of the mains stream p political spectrum have united over the past week in their cond demnation of the killing of Mrs Cox.
Thomas M Mair, 52, of Birstall,Bi t ll has been charged with murder in connection with her death.
It is alleged he shot her and also attacked her with a knife.
Mr Twigg said that he did not know Mrs Cox ‘really well’ but had been impressed by her first year in Parliament as a ‘hard-working, impressive MP who was clearly already making a mark’.
He added that he had been deeply shocked by her death.
Speaking on Friday, he said that it would be premature to pinpoint a motive and was adamant that his surgeries would not change.
Mr Twigg said: “The police have been in today to offer any help.
“It’s a balancing act, at the end of the day it’s very important that constituents have access to their MP.
“That’s part of a democracy. Most MPs, like me, have had incidents over the years but you’ve got to take account of security but you have got to be able to meet constituents, whether walking down the streets or out and about. You see people all the time.
“This mustn’t damage democracy, I’m not going to make any changes. I will review security like anybody else.
“Access to constituents is so important so we will continue as normal as best as we can.”
And although Mr Twigg would not be drawn on media speculation about whether the EU debate had been conducted in a vicious way liable to whip up hate, he said that politicians did face abuse on social media. He said: “There clearly is (abuse) on social media. There’s a lot more intolerance. The higher profile you have, the more likely people get pretty nasty stuff.
“MPs should be able to express a view and people will not agree with it.
“We have got to ensure that these terrible things that have happened don’t impinge on that and that we are able to express a view.
“I have had contact with the police in the past about some constituents who might have been threatening.
“I have had the police to the surgery a couple of times in the last 20 years but nothing as serious, thankfully, as Jo.
“Most MPs have had situations and we plan to deal with it, it’s part of the job unfortunately and we do have a lot of people who have difficult problems in their lives and they come in to you as a last resort and sometimes you can’t help them, it’s just not possible and you become the target of blame.
“You can’t please everybody and sometimes you get things wrong.”
He added: “MPs have views and they don’t always agree.
“We’re sent to Parliament to use our judgement and express our views.
“We can’t lose the democratic value and instead lose contact and put up barriers.”