LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Following the sentencing of Sir David Amess’s murderer, the Speaker of the House of Commons has called for “nicer and kinder politics within the chamber.”
“I want a nicer politics,” Lindsay Hoyle told BBC Radio 4. What did they have if they didn’t have democracy? It was about earning lawmakers’ respect and establishing trust with their constituents.
 They had a difficult road ahead of them, but it was one they must not abandon.
26 year old Ali Harbi Ali, stabbed Conservative MP Amess to death on October 2021 after at least two years of research on which MP to murder, fueled by Islamic State propaganda. Ali was found guilty of murder and plotting other attacks against MPs at the Old Bailey on Monday. It took the jury about 18 minutes to reach a decision.
On Radio 4, Hoyle expressed his condolences to the Amess family, saying, “David would always say one thing. Whatever happened, he believed and loved being an MP, and nothing would stop him from doing so.”
Amess died in a church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, shortly after the attack, when he was holding an advice surgery for constituents from his Southend West area. Amess was the second member of Parliament to be assassinated by a terrorist in just over five years. In 2016, a far-right assailant assassinated Labour MP Jo Cox.
Others, like himself, would continue to meet with people, but they must do it in a very safe environment, Hoyle added. That was what they were elected to do; they had a responsibility of care not only to themselves, but also to their staff and visitors.
While Hoyle stated that security was constantly being reviewed to ensure that MPs were safe today, he also stated that politicians would never give in to terrorism or its attempts to undermine ideals through violence, fear, attacks or murder.
Hoyle said MPs of “all political persuasions” were doing a fantastic job in general. He went on to say that being respectful and tolerant was more important than yelling someone down.
“Let’s show the chamber a nicer and kinder politics,” he urged.
Hoyle cited two instances in which the Commons came together: following Amess’ death and more recently, when the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, addressed the House of Commons in a live broadcast last month from Kyiv.
