Terrorist killing of MP prompts calls for end to openness

Rarely has this nation been so shocked as on October 15 when a popular MP, Sir David Amess, was stabbed to death during a meeting with his constituents in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. 

Traditionally, British MPs will meet any voter who lives in their area at a periodic gathering known as the MP’s “surgery”. 

This particular meeting was held in a Methodist church. Sir David walked into the church shortly after noon with two female constituency workers. Moments later, the women screamed — a man had emerged from a small group of waiting constituents and stabbed the MP several times. 

Police arrived and arrested a man aged 25 who made no attempt to flee, and paramedics worked desperately on Sir David, to no avail. He died shortly before 3pm. 

The suspect, detained under the Terrorism Act 2000, was identified as Ali Harbi Ali, a British national of Somali heritage. He was born in Southwark, south London and is the son of a former adviser to a Somali prime minister and nephew of the Somali ambassador to China. 

In his teenage years, he was referred to the government’s anti-extremism programme, Prevent, which aims to stop people being radicalised. 

Abolishing surgeries

Police said early investigation revealed “a potential motivation linked to Islamic extremism,” but it was not clear why Sir David was targeted. 

In the aftermath of the murder, several MPs confessed to being afraid of meeting the public in open forums such as surgeries. Such gatherings are rare in most nations but are cherished by many here as a unique interface between legislators and electors. 

Suggestions for tighter security included stationing MPs at the meetings, vetting attendees in advance or going to Zoom. 

MP Stephen Timms was stabbed at an advice clinic 11 years ago, but in a Commons debate, he argued against abolishing surgeries or using uniformed policemen. “We must not give up on our accessibility,” he said. 

Home Secretary Priti Patel asked MPs to talk to their local police about security measures which would make them comfortable. 

FOOTNOTE: A notable aspect of Sir David’s personality was highlighted by the hundreds of photos published by newspapers — he is invariably smiling. Thus it was fitting that in a two-hour special sitting by the House of Commons, many tributes referred to his good humour — in one case at his own expense. 

An MP told how Sir David, a devout Roman Catholic, visited the Pope in Rome. Traditionally, many of those in line offered holy objects such as rosaries and crucifixes for the pontiff’s blessing. 

On that day, Sir David happened to have a sore throat and took a boiled sweet from his pocket. Bad timing! The Pope spotted the sweet and blessed it, much to the embarrassment of the MP, who could only smile his thanks. 

There is no record of what happened to the holy sweet, but friends assumed that Sir David swallowed it and no doubt received swift relief for his sore throat. 

***

Deaths may be down and restrictions relaxed, but the negative effects of the Covid pandemic show no sign of abating. 

Getting a face-to-face consultation with your doctor has proved impossible for many, and that goes for dentists, too — in many cases a more urgent need by a pain-wracked patient. 

Mother of two Danielle Watts has a gum disease, but her dentist in Bury St Edmund’s closed back in 2015 and she cannot find a new one. She said, “My teeth started dying off, one by one. Now I squeeze them and they just pop out. I’ve lost 11 and I think I will lose them all.” 

An official said the UK was short of 1,000 dentists due to poor health service contracts, the pandemic and Brexit. 

Then there are the conspiracy theorists who campaign against the Covid vaccines. 

A group of adult anti-vaxxers gathered recently outside Saint Thomas More Catholic School in Blaydon, in the north of England, and brandished pictures of dead children as pupils aged 12 to 15 arrived to be vaccinated, in accordance with a government programme. 

A health official said she had received reports of some children being so frightened by the protests they had declined to take their jab. 

***

The two poems last week by the world’s second worst poet, Walter McCorrisken, seemed to tickle a few fancies, so here’s a third, just for luck: 

A funny thing happened to my brother Jim, 

Somebody threw a tomato at him. 

Now tomatoes are soft and don’t hurt the skin, 

But this one was specially packed in a tin. 

***

As many of us have discovered when trying to learn a new language, there is a big difference between knowing the meaning of words and knowing how they are pronounced. For instance: 

The bandage was wound around the wound. 

and 

The boy thought climbing the bough was tough. 

[email protected]