‘Keep link between politicians and public’

THE death, after being attacked by someone during one of his constituency surgeries, of Sir David Amess MP was truly shocking.

Anyone who has been involved with politics at whatever level can recognise in the tributes paid to him, by colleagues and constituents, in the days since a man who was genuinely committed to serving all the people he represented.

If, in the wake of the tragic events of last Friday, members of parliament and councillors were to feel it was no longer safe to meet the public face-to-face, it would be a victory for those people who, whatever cause they claim to be acting in the name of, simply want to spread division and disharmony.

It is right that some additional security measures be put in place, for example knife arches of the sort that are used in many large public buildings.

What we must avoid at all costs though is breaking the link between politicians and the public.

One of the great strengths of democracy as practiced in the UK is that the local MP or councillor is someone you stand a good chance of bumping into in the local pub or when you’re out walking the dog.

Not a faceless legislator with only a tangential link to the area he or she represents, or someone in dark glasses who only appears in public surrounded by a crowd of bodyguards.

This means they cannot help but hear what the public think about how the country is being run, usually relayed in the most robust terms.

By and large that is a

good thing, requiring that deference be shown towards politicians often has the drawback of encouraging into the trade people who think holding power makes them important, not that what is important is using the power you hold to do the right thing.

What we need isn’t a return to some lost ‘age of deference’, we need to have respect for those people who stand for and, if the vote goes their way, win public office.

A respect that is based on the open mindedness and compassion with which they treat all the people they represent.

Something at which, judging by the tributes paid to him from all sides of the house on Monday afternoon, Sir David Amess excelled.

ADAM COLCLOUGH PENKHULL