David Amess, the MP for Southend West, has died after being stabbed at his constituency surgery. Essex Police say that a 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Amess had been an MP since 1983, and represented Southend West since 1997. He was a genial parliamentarian, a diligent constituency MP and a doughty campaigner for city status for Southend, regularly asking about the matter at PMQs.
Amess’s death after being attacked at his surgery is a tragic reminder of the risks that MPs run when they meet the public in this fashion. Five years ago, Jo Cox was murdered on her way to a constituency surgery in her seat of Batley and Spen. In 2010, Stephen Timms was stabbed at his surgery. A shockingly large number of MPs have received death threats.
The 1992 election is, probably, the moment from Amess’s political career that will be most remembered.
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