Patel's security plans could offer MPs police protection

Speaking after visiting the scene of the crime, and following talks with police, security services, and Speaker Hoyle, Ms. Patel said that MPs must not let the violence of the kind seen on Friday “get in the way of our functioning democracy”. She refused to be drawn on the security changes being considered but said that it was “absolutely” possible to balance MPs’ safety with the need for constituents to have access to their representatives.

- ANDREW WOODCOCK

MPs are set to be offered beefed-up security in their constituencies in the wake of the murder of Sir David Amess, which could include a regular police presence at weekly surgeries like the one at which the MP for Southend West was stabbed to death on Friday. Police forces contacted all 650 MPs following Sir David’s death to offer reassurance and support, with some deploying officers to public events MPs were attending.

Home secretary Priti Patel said MPs should not be “cowed” by the fear of violence from carrying out their duties as elected representatives of the public, including holding meetings with constituents to discuss their concerns.

But there were deep divisions between members of the House of Commons about the way ahead, with prominent backbencher Tobias Ellwood urging colleagues to suspend all face-to-face surgeries until a police review of safety was completed, and veteran Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin saying it was time to switch to online video conferencing rather than imposing the financial burden on the police of protecting in-person meetings, which he said were “frankly not really necessary”.

As Ms. Patel joined Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle in laying wreaths at the site of Sir David’s death in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, counterterrorism police continued to question a 25-year old UK national of Somali heritage. Police have not formally identified the man, but he was named in reports last night as Ali Harbi Ali.