House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said he would begin a review of safety measures for MPs following the murder of Southend West’s MP Sir David Amess.
Sir Lindsay said it was essential to “protect our democracy” against “people who hate our values and the democratic process” while also urging MPs to take up the security options currently on offer.
Sir Lindsay praised Sir David as a “well-loved” figure in his constituency and parliament and said MPs would be able to pay tribute in the House of Commons on Monday, followed by a church service.
The Speaker also said it would be fitting to install a plaque in the House of Commons in honour of Sir David, as was the case following the killing of MP Jo Cox in 2016.
The Speaker and Home Secretary are said to be looking at “practical measures” to help protect MPs following the killing.
Sir David Amess, aged 69, was stabbed several times at Belfair Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, where he was taking part in a constituency surgery with members of the public.
A man arrested by police at the scene has been named as Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old British citizen, and is being held at a London police station under the Terrorism Act of 2000.
The attack has led many MPs and their staff teams to question whether they are still safe to meet with constituents face-to-face without increased police protection.
MPs in the United Kingdom regularly hold surgeries in public buildings like churches and libraries, where constituents can seek information and discuss local issues with their parliamentary representatives.
Since the murder of Batley and Spens MP Jo Cox in 2016 by white supremacist Thomas Alexander Mair, many Members of Parliament have frequently been taking more security precautions.
Most MPs do not get close protection while in their constituencies, but increased security was brought in following Ms Cox’s killing.
After Jo Cox’s assassination, all MPs were offered panic switches, additional lighting, extra locks, and emergency contact fobs at their homes and constituency offices.
Writing in the Observer, Sir Lindsay further called for an end to “the hate which drives… attacks” against MPs.
“If anything positive is to come out of this latest awful tragedy,” he said, “it is that the quality of political discourse has to change. The conversation has to be kinder and based on respect.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel said abuse directed to MPs could be “very corrosive” but said the Government would begin a “balanced” approach towards banning anonymous social media accounts.
The growing levels of abuse directed towards Members of Parliament online have led to many UK political figures calling out social media companies’ role in the problem.
Arguments have been made that social media companies such as Facebook must put in a more significant effort to combat abusive accounts and posts on their platforms.