PM Boris Johnson pays tribute to David Amess,MP

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead MPs as they pay their respects and share memories, ahead of a service at St Margaret’s Church, next to Parliament.

The family of Sir David have called for people to “set aside hatred and work towards togetherness”.

They added that the “wonderful” tributes paid to him had given them strength, adding: “We ask people to set aside their differences and show kindness and love to all. Please let some good come from this tragedy.”

On Friday, PM Boris Johnson said: “I think all our hearts are full of shock and sadness today” adding that Sir David Amess was “one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics”.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab said he was “heartbroken” following the news, describing Mr Amess as a “formidable campaigner with a big heart”.

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Mr Amess, a Member of Parliament who represented Southend West, was holding a constituency surgery – where voters can meet their MP – when he was attacked.

Emergency services arrived at the scene to help make the area safe and a 25-year-old man was arrested, but sadly Mr Amess died.

Extra police are now in the area and many of the roads nearby have been closed.

Police have said they are treating it as a terrorist incident, they have arrested a 25-year-old man and are holding him under the Terrorism Act 2000.

They are not looking for anyone else in connection with what happened.

Police said there was a potential link to Islamist extremism.

He had been a Member of Parliament for nearly 40 years, having been elected to represent Basildon in Essex in 1983, before switching to the nearby Southend West in 1997.

Before that he was a teacher at a primary school in East London.

Sir David was married with five grown-up children.

He campaigned on issues such as animal welfare and for the town of Southend to become a city.

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