Tailored security advice is to be provided to MPs on potential threats following the murder of Sir David Amess.
As a result of a review carried out in the wake of the 69-year-old’s killing, safety guidance issued to politicians at Westminster will be more bespoke, based on individual circumstances, rather than a standardised set of measures.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Home Secretary Priti Patel ordered an audit of existing security provisions after Sir David was stabbed more than 20 times while holding a surgery in his Southend constituency last October.
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Earlier this month 26-year-old Ali Harbi Ali was given a whole-life prison sentence, meaning he will die behind bars, after being found guilty of murder and preparing terrorist acts.
In a statement following the sentencing, Sir David’s family said they felt “no elation” at Ali’s jailing and they would “forever shed tears for the man we have lost”.
The veteran politician was the second MP to be murdered in less than six years following the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox by a far-right extremist in 2016.
The review was carried out by the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) working alongside the police, the Home Office and other government security experts.
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What more can be done to keep MPs safe after Sir David Amess’s death?
The exact details of its recommendations remain confidential on security grounds.
But it is understood that a new multi-agency team will look at the threat faced by individual MPs and suggest measures they should take to safeguard themselves and their staff.
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A parliamentary spokeswoman said: “The speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle and the Home Secretary Priti Patel committed to reviewing security arrangements for MPs after the tragic murder of Sir David Amess.
“It is a fundamental principle of democracy that members and their staff are able to perform their parliamentary duties safely – both on and off the estate.”
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She added: “We do not routinely comment on security matters, however we can advise that we have updated MPs about changes we will bring in that will see us take a more flexible approach to keeping MPs safe, that build on the current robust security measures in place.
“As ever, we will keep these and any future measures under continuous review to prevent those who wish to do us harm from succeeding.”
