British MP David Amess stabbed to death

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David Amess, a member of the U.K. Parliament, has died after being stabbed multiple times on Friday at a church in southeast England.

The attack happened at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, in the county of Essex. Sky News reported that a man had walked into his constituency office and stabbed him multiple times.

Essex Police said that a person had been arrested following the incident, and confirmed that a man had died.

“We were called to an address in Eastwood Road North shortly after 12.05pm today (Friday 15 October). We attended and found a man injured. He was treated by emergency services but, sadly, died at the scene,” the police said in a statement.

“A 25 year-old man was quickly arrested after officers arrived at the scene on suspicion of murder and a knife was recovered. He is currently in custody. We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident“.

Amess, a member of Boris Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party, represented the Southend West constituency and was first elected to Parliament to represent Basildon in 1983.

Sir David, who represented Southend West, was holding a constituency surgery - where voters can meet their MP and discuss concerns - at Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North.

A Conservative backbencher for nearly forty years, Sir David entered Parliament in 1983 as the MP for Basildon.

He held the seat in 1992, but switched to nearby Southend West at the 1997 election.
Raised as a Roman Catholic, he was known politically as a social conservative and as a prominent campaigner against abortion and on animal welfare issues.

He was also known for his championing of Southend, including a long-running campaign to win city status for the town.

The BBC understands the suspect is "a British national who initially appears to be of Somali heritage". The investigation into the fatal attack is being led by counter-terrorism police.


In a 2020 book Sir David Amess wrote about Westminster politics, he spoke of how increasing attacks and threats towards politicians and their families had "rather spoilt the great British tradition of the people openly meeting their elected politicians."

He wrote: "The British tradition has always been that Members of Parliament regularly make themselves available for constituents to meet them face to face at their surgeries.

"Now advice has been given to be more careful when accepting appointments. We are advised to never see people alone, we must be extra careful when opening post and we must ensure that our offices are properly safe and secure."

Surgeries, and meeting constituents face-to-face in their communities, is a part of the job that many MPs cherish.

The fatal stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea has tonight been declared as a terrorist incident, with the investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing.

The investigation is being led by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command who are working closely with colleagues from the Eastern Region Specialist Operations Unit (ERSOU) and Essex Police.

Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon formally declared the incident as terrorism. The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.

[...]

As part of the investigation, officers are currently carrying out searches at two addresses in the London area and these are ongoing.

It is believed that he acted alone, and we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident at this time. However, enquiries into the circumstances continue.

[...]

+ We would remind media that with proceedings now active, nothing should be published that creates a substantial risk of serious prejudice or impediment to this case.