David Amess killing latest: MPs discuss security arrangements following death

The home secretary told Sky News the Prevent scheme, to stop radicalisation, is already under review. The suspect was previously known to the Prevent scheme, the official programme to stop radicalisation although his involvement was short and he has no known previous terrorist involvement, the Guardian has learned.

Priti Patel said:

The home secretary, Priti Patel, said this morning “we need to close any gaps” in the safety arrangements for MPs (quotes from PA).

She said “there are practical measures” being taken around the safety of MPs and politicians, giving as examples “booking appointments in advance, checking the details of the individuals that you are seeing, checking the locations in advance that you are going to, making sure that you are not on your own. I could go on – there are other things, linked to policing and security as well.
“There are things already in place but I’m now very much, and Lindsay Hoyle the speaker of the House and I, with the police, and with others as well, we need to close any gaps basically where we feel that you know there are concerns.”

Asked if MPs could receive the level of close protection they receive in Westminster she said: “All these issues and options are in consideration right now.”
She added: “There is a lot of work taking place already.”

Pointing out that councillors are also “out there every single day”, Patel said: “We should, rightly, our elected representatives need to be able to go around with confidence – with confidence that they are safe and secure in the work they are doing.”

The home secretary said immediate changes were actively being put in place and discussed.

But she said she did not not believe the murder of Sir David Amess should change the relationship between MPs and their constituencies, saying MPs “are part of the fabric, the DNA of society, our democracy, freedom”.

The Sunday morning politics shows this morning will be dominated by one story today – the killing of the Conservative MP David Amess, who died after being stabbed several times at an open advice surgery for his constituents in Essex on Friday.

The death of Amess caused shock and revulsion across the political divide. The 69-year-old was a popular figure in parliament as reflected in the outpouring of warm tributes. It has also, inevitably, coming just five years after the murder of Jo Cox, prompted renewed debate about MPs’ security and what can be done to prevent such a tragedy ever happening again.

Among those who will be discussing Friday’s awful events this morning will be the home secretary, Priti Patel, and the former prime minister Gordon Brown. We will be bringing you all the latest updates here.

In the meantime, you can read a tribute to Amess by the speaker of the House of Commons. who also says the discourse around MPs must change.

And the Observer has a piece on the abuse and threats that MPs are regularly exposed to: