Hiding our MPs is surrender to extremists
THE assassination of Sir David Amess is a savage attack on our political system. As the nation grieves, the impact of this monstrous atrocity is all the greater because for almost 40 years, Sir David was the epitome of the good parliamentarian.
Courteous, compassionate and courageous, he was both a dedicated servant of his constituency and a formidable campaigner for his chosen causes.
Disaster
It is no coincidence that tragically like Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in 2016, he was hacked down while attending one of his regular local surgeries.
But the wrong response to his killing would be to shut down our parliamentary democracy by compelling MPs to withdraw from public engagement. In the wake of his death, there have been calls for them to abandon their surgeries, retreat from local meetings and switch to remote working.
Yet such an approach would be a disaster. The Westminster model, admired throughout the world, is built on the constituency link between the elected representatives and their voters.
It is a cherished connection that ensures real accountability, making politicians aware of local opinions and problems. Yes, security can be improved by measures such as the provision of personal alarms but, in the process, accessibility must not be lost.
To their credit, most of our MPs seem determined to retain a spirit of openness despite the current safety concerns.
Indeed, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker whose heartfelt, dignified but passionate reaction to the murder has been movingly impressive over recent days, says with defiance that “meeting the people who elected us is the very essence of being an MP”.
Tellingly, he held his own surgery in his Chorley constituency just hours after Sir David’s killing.
That is the attitude that is required in this crisis. Hiding behind closed doors would be a surrender to the extremists.
Politics is far too toxic without giving further ground to the merchants of hate, who thrive on fear. Vigilance and civility are the best antidotes to their poison.