If you don t mind me asking what were you due to meet on about? it was tonight, it was our annual conservative dinner which we were holding over at saxon hall, and we had a special guest that would have been coming and another mp mark fran ois was attending and hopefully a number of our supporters who would have been there and listening to sir david s and our guests talk to us about what we were doing and how we were moving forward but unfortunately i ve had to cancel that now. understandably so. i wonder, some mps inevitably if they become cabinet members or if they become senior mps, lots of their focus cabinet members or if they become senior mps, lots of theirfocus is taken up with business in westminster, is said david s, is he
Are a very important part of our democracy, so that voters can go and see their elected representatives, raise concerns of them face to face and hope that they can do something about them. so they will be dozens of constituency surgery is happening up of constituency surgery is happening up and down the country today, friday is a very big day for that happening. as you can imagine, mps from all over the country reacting with horror at these reports we are hearing this afternoon. just with horror at these reports we are hearing this afternoon. hearing this afternoon. just to be cut for anyone hearing this afternoon. just to be cut for anyone who hearing this afternoon. just to be cut for anyone who is hearing this afternoon. just to be cut for anyone who is joining - hearing this afternoon. just to be cut for anyone who is joining us l hearing this afternoon. just to be cut for anyone who is joining us - cut for anyone who isjoining us the news that there has been expanding at a constituency surgery of the conservative mp sir david amess, that is what we are talking about at the moment. i just wonder, with the timing of this, the police report said they were called shortly after 12 noon today, the area is a busy one, schools, shops, people around. that is obviously a big part of the concern around this. as you
Go and meet new people, he went around the constituency meeting in different places, like the belfairs methodist church. when you look at the fact that this is not the first such incident of its kind, we have seen this twice within just over the last ten years, 2016, jo cox being stabbed in the tragedy of that, our fatal stabbing. before that, stephen timms, labour mp in 2010 being stabbed at his constituency office as well. is there any obvious answer to how you keep notjust the elected representatives, but those who work around them because presumably those staff, administrative and support staff, administrative and support staff, arejust staff, administrative and support staff, are just as staff, administrative and support staff, arejust as much staff, administrative and support staff, are just as much at risk as mps themselves. mps themselves. absolutely. especially mps themselves. absolutely. especially if mps themselves. absolutely. especially if they mps themselves. absolutely. especially if they try - mps themselves. absolutely. especially if they try and i mps themselves. absolutely. especially if they try and get l especially if they try and get involved to help the person being
Anything more. essex police have confirmed they have arrested a man following reports of a stabbing, they are not looking for anyone else in connection with it. but meanwhile tributes and reaction flooding in from across the political spectrum. for example, robert halfon, another conservative mp in essex saying it is truly devastating news, sir david is truly devastating news, sir david is a very kind and dedicated mp and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family and his team at this horrific time. the long serving labour mp barry sherman, just heard about the cowardly attack on david amis, david would not hurt a fly, why had this happen? lots of mps will be doing exactly the same today, speaking directly with the people they are elected to represent and already this is raising some pretty serious questions about the security for mps when they are out
Chamber social media gives than an echo chamber and often makes it worse. we have seen chamber and often makes it worse. we have seen this in the threats made to mps. have seen this in the threats made to mp5, particularly female mps and women to mp5, particularly female mps and women in to mp5, particularly female mps and women in general. these seem to have been massively exacerbated by the nature been massively exacerbated by the nature of been massively exacerbated by the nature of what they think is the anonymous nature of their commentary. for most of them they often commentary. for most of them they often find commentary. for most of them they often find the groups that they want to and often find the groups that they want to and they whip each other up into a sort to and they whip each other up into a sort of to and they whip each other up into a sort of anger and frenzy over issues a sort of anger and frenzy over issues which all logic is lost to. might issues which all logic is lost to. might worry right now is the idea of what your might worry right now is the idea of what your anger is about as often complemented by others through this internet complemented by others through this internet chat. i think it has definitely made things worse. in my personal definitely made things worse. in my personal view, the commentary is often personal view, the commentary is often very personal view, the commentary is often very violent, very angry, and
Supports all of them, thejewish community around where he lives close by him in westcliff, they really do love him because of all the work he puts in for the constituents and for all of them, he does not differ one iota and if someone has got a problem he will get it sorted. 0ne get it sorted. one of the things we ve been talking about is the tension, inevitable tension between people having access to mps and councillors, elected representatives, that is such a fundamental part of our democracy but it brings with it the risk of things like this happening. yes, absolutely. as you say, it s one of the basic needs of our democracy, to make sure people have access to their mps and their counsellors, and can meet them and talk to them. i ve been to people s
Feelings that many are expressing, of both concern but also anger, because if this leads to a limited access, situations like this when an mp can safely meet their constituents in a church hall with an mp cannot safely meet the constituents, the effect that has on everyone if that limit future access and is everyone poorer in democracy we can. ., .., and is everyone poorer in democracy we can. ., , ., ., . we can. you could argue our elected representatives we can. you could argue our elected representatives have we can. you could argue our elected representatives have never- we can. you could argue our elected representatives have never been i we can. you could argue our elected l representatives have never been more accessible because they are all on social media now, and not have to take lots of abuse on social media, let s be honest about that, clearly that s ok too an extent unless it spills over and then you ve got violent acts against mps in their own constituency, that s not the sign of a healthy democracy, but clearly someone like david amis, known, as we ve heard from others today, as a hard working constituency mp, would have wanted
Up in leigh on sea this afternoon first up lots of conservative mps who are friends with sir david amess saying some on twitter. they find it utterly horrendous and are deeply shocked by it. you utterly horrendous and are deeply shocked by it shocked by it. you work in parliament shocked by it. you work in parliament day shocked by it. you work in parliament day day - shocked by it. you work in parliament day day in, - shocked by it. you work in| parliament day day in, day shocked by it. you work in - parliament day day in, day out. the levels of security there, in order to keep mps safe when they are in their offices in westminster, is it at all feasible at that same level of security could be applied to constituency offices, or is that simply unworkable? constituency offices, or is that simply unworkable? there is a huge security operation simply unworkable? there is a huge security operation around security operation around parliament. we have to go through quite a lengthy process to get a pass to be able to go to the palace of westminster. there are police officer stationed around it. there are airport style security gates at every single entrance into parliament. there is a huge amount of security. more widely in westminster too, there is downing street up the vote, there is a big cake they are, that all all those armed officers stationed at that
Attacked. and that is why you do look and see, look at the risk and what things you can put in place to try and prevent such things. the other thing ? we have got to be careful. the people that do this, the person that has done this today to david, they must not get the upper hand, we must keep in there and if we have to take harsher precautions to make people safe then we must do it because mps, councillors are there to help the residents and they are there to meet their residence and not do it all remotely. and it is a harsh thing but if need be we have to give them the protection they might need. i want to recap, don t go away, please, counsellor, iwant i want to recap, don t go away, please, counsellor, i want to recap for viewersjoining us, david amess, conservative mp, has been stabbed in
Surgeries people in houses and shops in our surgeries. that is what i think makes surgeries. that is what i think makes our surgeries. that is what i think makes our system work. we greet people makes our system work. we greet people i makes our system work. we greet people ican makes our system work. we greet people. i can remember when stephen timms. people. i can remember when stephen timms. the people. i can remember when stephen timms, the labourmp, people. i can remember when stephen timms, the labour mp, was stabbed. we all timms, the labour mp, was stabbed. we all felt timms, the labour mp, was stabbed. we all felt the same then, hopes and prayers we all felt the same then, hopes and prayers for we all felt the same then, hopes and prayers for his safe recovery, which he did, prayers for his safe recovery, which he did, and prayers for his safe recovery, which he did, and the same for david today~ he did, and the same for david today it he did, and the same for david today it is he did, and the same for david today. it is tragic when this happens today. it is tragic when this happens and we all feel for him. indeed. happens and we all feel for him. indeed, and i think that is reflected in the number of tweets and messages wishing sir david amess well. when you look at the way things have been for the past year and a half, where people s only real way of accessing that mps has been by phone or through video meetings. how important was it to you and your colleagues and david amis as well to