RECORD Sickening act is another blow to our democracy

THE murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 by a far-right terrorist was a warning for democracy in the UK.

For a politician to be killed in broad daylight was a sickening act of brutality that shocked every right-minded person.

It also sparked a debate on whether the security of politicians was tight enough to keep them safe.

Another MP, Tory Sir David Amess, has now been killed after being stabbed multiple times at a constituency surgery.

He was killed doing a job he loved and his death has broken the hearts of everyone who knew him.

Amess entered Parliament in 1983 and was admired on all sides of the political divide.

He doggedly pursued causes close to his heart, such as campaigning for greater funding to treat endometriosis and for animal welfare.

His death is not just a tragedy for his friends and family but also a devastating blow for our political way of life.

We elect MPs to serve the interests of their constituents.

They do so by tabling questions, questioning Ministers and shaping legislation.

At the most basic level they fight for the voters who walk through their surgery doors and plead for help.

Anything that makes MPs think twice about carrying out this basic function of democracy is unthinkable.

MPs must be able to do their job without fear of personal attack.

Like anybody else, they must be able to walk the streets and meet voters without thinking their lives are at risk.

Amess’s death will inevitably lead to another bout of soul searching on MPs’ safety.

The obvious point is that it will never be possible to keep MPs safe 24/7.

Without round-the-clock bodyguards there is always a risk of bad people committing criminal acts against MPs.

The wider debate that must take place is whether our toxic political culture is contributing to these deadly attacks.

Social media is a sewer and MPs, particularly women, are routinely abused on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. They are seen as fair game for harassment and are hounded by cowards hiding behind anonymous accounts.

Democracy thrives on a healthy dialogue between our politicians and those who elect them.

But the boundaries have been crossed so many times that we have become desensitized to the abuse.

Our politics is broken. Sir David’s death shows us, again, the urgency of fixing this awful problem.