London: Conservative MP Sir David Amess has died after being stabbed at his constituency in Essex. Police said a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after the stabbing at a church in Leigh-on-Sea. They said they recovered a knife and were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. The 69-year-old politician is from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party. He was treated by emergency services but died at the scene where Amess was meeting people from his constituency.
Sir David, 69, had been an MP since 1983 and was married with five children.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Amess was ‘a great man, a great friend, and a great MP killed while fulfilling his democratic role’. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Rest In Peace Sir David. You were a champion for animal welfare, the less fortunate, and the people of Southend West. You will be missed by many.”
Essex Police said they were called to reports of a stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea and recovered a knife from the scene.
Former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said he was ‘praying for a full recovery’ for Amess. He said on Twitter: “My thoughts are with David Amess MP and his family at this awful time. Praying for a full recovery following this appalling, shocking news. This angry, violent behaviour cannot be tolerated in politics or any other walk of life…”
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.