An MP has just been stabbed.

[Cactus1982]

Breaking news on Sky. David Amess MP has been stabbed ‘multiple times’. Feels like Jo Cox all over again, surely MPs need security around them? Some of the comments they receive on social media are off the scale. All parties as well. I can’t imagine a US Senator wandering around without security?

What awful news. Thoughts go out to his family.

This is shocking.
It's impossible to guess at the murderer's motives and triggers.
for his family and friends including Worra

I wonder if the government reaction will be as bland as it was to Jo Cox with regards to MP safety. We really need a police presence at all public events attended by an MP. A totally avoidable tragedy. So sad for all involved.

@PersonaNonGarter

This is where Angela Rayner’s ‘scum’ remarks get us.

People genuinely believe politicians are justified targets of abuse.

This.

God love him. May he rest in peace, and his loved ones be comforted by what a nice man he was. poor poor man.

@DisgustedofManchester

I wonder if the government reaction will be as bland as it was to Jo Cox with regards to MP safety. We really need a police presence at all public events attended by an MP. A totally avoidable tragedy. So sad for all involved.

There has to be some learning, surely. We have lost two MPs within the course of just a few years. They seem to be particularly vulnerable in their constituencies. I hope that steps can be taken to protect them.

I live round the corner from the church and Sir David was my MP. I went to school with one of his daughters. His stance on gay marriage and abortion were representative of his catholic faith. He was a lovely man, a pillar of the community and well liked. It's a sad day.

I wish peace to his family.

I wouldn’t blame MPs if they switched to booked Zoom constituency surgeries. Of all parties. No one should have to face this.

I'm sure this latest tragedy will make a lot of MPs feel very vulnerable. They deserve to be protected

@HuckleberryJam

People don't murder because they've heard someone name call for goodness sake. It's appalling to try and make the link

Completely agree, plus people who believes some murdering after hearing a comment is essentially excused from trying to murder someone. What AR said was factual.

It wasn’t inciting violence etc, unlike our own PM who essentially incited sexual assault “just tap her on the bottom”.

I wonder how long it will be until people come out in support of his murderer, there were sadly lots of them when Jo Cox was murdered.

Indeed, a PM who refuses to condemn racism is not setting a high bar.

@Saucery

I wouldn’t blame MPs if they switched to booked Zoom constituency surgeries. Of all parties. No one should have to face this.

I can see this would be a hurdle too far for some members of the public to access their MP. It wouldn't be democratic. Maybe if we had more libraries around you could offer facilities and technical support for those who would need it to access these zoom surgeries but that ship has sailed.

Tragic news.

Sad to say that Jo Cox murder didn't change anything and neither I think will this murder. Division will continue, violence will continue.

Absolutely horrifying. To die in such a brutal way during the course of your work.

Amess' long career shows he was clearly appreciated by his constituents. He was an obviously an MP who properly represented those who elected him and believed in the day to day work of being an MP.

I was reading a tweet by the former office manager of Yvette Cooper, where she said she left her job because by the end she was reporting 100 death threats a week. And that's just towards one MP. That political differences can manifest themselves in such a way is frightening.

Oh yes @FourTeaFallOut, I agree. It would disenfranchise so many vulnerable people. I still wouldn’t blame any MP for doing so, however.
Perhaps a set-up like old fashioned prison visiting, with a screen between them and the surgery attendee might work? Alienating for sure, but they deserve to feel safe without the cost and personnel needs of trained security ( who also deserve to feel safe doing their job).

How horrific. I hope that the poor man survives this and with minimal issues.
I think he has died*

We were still awaiting further updates when I posted that.

@Simonjt. Calling people scum isn't factual, it's perjorative. It's designed to incite emotions. In her case to further her political career. What she thinks or says privately is one thing, but to be deputy leader of a political party and say it publicly is unacceptable. Even she has said politicians need to tone down their speech - whilst hypocritically refusing to do so herself.

He has died.

Jesus Christ, thats awful. Poor man, and his poor family and friends. Nobody deserves that. 💐

Life long labour supporter here I hope the poor man is OK! So shocking.. What has the world come to! 😥 Hope he has a speedy recovery ❤️

@Dontbeamugallyourlifesucker

Life long labour supporter here I hope the poor man is OK! So shocking.. What has the world come to! 😥 Hope he has a speedy recovery ❤️

He's died.

@Saucery

Oh yes *@FourTeaFallOut*, I agree. It would disenfranchise so many vulnerable people. I still wouldn’t blame any MP for doing so, however. Perhaps a set-up like old fashioned prison visiting, with a screen between them and the surgery attendee might work? Alienating for sure, but they deserve to feel safe without the cost and personnel needs of trained security ( who also deserve to feel safe doing their job).

I just said this - a layer of glass between them like prison visits. Not ideal but I don’t think the level of risk is low enough to justify face to face surgeries any more.

@Simonjt how was it factual? He was a member of the Tory party yes, but not Tory Scum. He simply had different political beliefs. To call him scum is to inflame a reaction, there's nothing factual at all.

[quote anon12345678901]@Simonjt how was it factual? He was a member of the Tory party yes, but not Tory Scum. He simply had different political beliefs. To call him scum is to inflame a reaction, there's nothing factual at all. [/quote]
Factual is a strange spin I agree.

@DisgustedofManchester what you are suggesting would be incredibly difficult to organise. An MPs diary on a constituency day is full of events and meetings. Having a police presence at every public event attended by an MP would mean they’d each need an individual bodyguard- for several days each week if we’re talking constituency events . It would cost ££££

No one would agree to it. MPs get security arrangements like alarms & CCTV and people get very angry about the cost of that already. At one point MPs were also told they were going to be taxed on the security systems at their constituency offices (which protect their staff), but in the end that didn’t happen.

The cost of security has to be published differently to other expenses to stop people getting angry that some MPs were ‘costing more’ for their security. It’s all lumped together rather than against each MP.

And I speak as someone married to (& working for) an MP. An MP who will do their constituency surgery as usual next week. On an appointment basis- not a drop in.
People want it be able to drop in- but this is why the police don’t like MPs to advertise where they’re going to be…