The UK government has said it is urgently looking to “close” gaps in security for parliamentarians, as MPs continue to voice safety concerns following the killing of Conservative backbencher Sir David Amess.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, stressed on Sunday that Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, together with ministers and police forces, would “do absolutely everything” to ensure the safety of elected representatives and councillors and “safeguard” democratic processes.
Patel has launched a review into MPs’ security and said a “whole spectrum” of measures was being explored, including police protection for MPs during face-to-face surgeries where they meet constituents.
“The Speaker has already put in a range of measures post-Friday . . . within that there are other options that are being considered, such as when you hold your surgeries could you have officers or some kind of protection,” she told Sky News.
For many MPs across the political spectrum, the death of Amess has thrown into sharp relief how the dangers they face are becoming increasingly common and violent. The veteran MP for Southend West in Essex was stabbed multiple times during a constituency meeting on Friday at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, 40 miles east of London.
“In the last five to six years, there has been a shift in attitude and the relationship between MPs and the public,” explained Alice Lilly, senior researcher at the Institute for Government, a think-tank.
“We have seen two parliamentarians tragically killed while doing their jobs, prosecutions and arrests relating to attacks against MPs are on the rise and terrorist attacks on the House of Parliament itself,” she said.
In June 2016, the murder of Jo Cox, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, sparked widespread public discussion surrounding MPs’ security. This resulted in the creation of Operation Bridger, a police-led scheme aimed at increasing security resources available to parliamentarians.
The parliamentary authorities recommended a range of enhanced safety measures, for example using an appointment system for booking surgeries. MPs were also offered additional security for their constituency offices and homes, such as panic alarms and CCTV.
Data from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) show that the amount spent on MPs’ security has rocketed from £77,000 in the 2014-15 financial year to £3.3m in 2019-20.
Some MPs welcomed the home secretary’s latest proposals but argued that a more joined-up approach was needed.
“Some MPs wait months between consultation and installation [of safety measures],” argued one Labour MP. “We shouldn’t have to wait for someone to die for there to be a whole flurry of action on keeping us safe”.
“We need to have a standardised system with local police co-operating with MPs because at the moment it is a postcode lottery in terms of support and not all parliamentarians receive equal levels of help,” added Tulip Siddiq, a Labour MP.
This sense of frustration was shared by Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, who told Times Radio on Sunday that he had experienced “four or five incidents” that he had to report to the police but had been dissatisfied with the response. “Quite often they literally don’t do anything or the onus is on me to give endless statements which lead nowhere.”
Patel said MPs across the country had already been contacted by their local police forces, with the government aiming to take urgent steps to safeguard them. “This isn’t a case of, let’s wait for two, three, four weeks. These are immediate changes and measures that are actively being put in place and discussed,” she said.
The home secretary added that MPs should check the details of the individuals they are seeing, check the locations they are going to in advance and make sure that they are not on they own.
The National Police Chiefs Council said: “We encourage MPs to immediately report any security concerns to their local police force in order to keep themselves, their staff and members of the public attending surgeries safe. Funding is available through IPSA for security needs based on threat assessments made by police.”
Many MPs are now having to contend with the prospect of increased security as they remain available to the public.
“When I first became an MP, I made sure to have a security guard at surgery meetings because I had to deal with a very aggressive constituent early on,” explained one parliamentarian elected in 2019.
“A balance has to be struck between accessibility and security,” argued Joy Morrissey, a Conservative backbencher who said she had experienced abuse and death threats towards herself and family members.
“The most effective solutions would be to hold appointment-only surgeries, use security guards where necessary and inform the police when and where you are holding face-to-face appointments,” she added.
However, as Siddiq suggested, parliamentarians are unlikely to ever be completely secure if they want to do their job properly. “We also can’t stop being public servants, this is what we all signed up for and what parliamentarians want and need to do.”
Yet many argued that while enhanced security measures in the short term may provide some comfort, in the longer term a cultural reset is needed in regards to how MPs, parliament and political institutions are viewed and the tone of political debate.
“Having one or two security guards may help,” mused a Tory backbencher. “But we have an increasingly divided culture and the nature of political debate has become extremely visceral. We need to tackle that in the long term to prevent these sorts of attacks”.
This sentiment was echoed by Amess’ family on Sunday evening. They described the late MP as “a patriot and a man of peace”, and called for unity in light of events.
“We ask people to set aside their differences and show kindness and love to all,” a statement from the family read. “This is the only way forward. Set aside hatred and work towards togetherness.
“As a family, we are trying to understand why this awful thing has occurred. Nobody should die in that way. Nobody.”
Additional reporting by Helen Warrell
MPs confront need to find balance between accessibility and security
Pinoy Variant