Face-to-face meetings between MPs and constituents should be suspended pending a security review following the killing of Sir David Amess, a former Conservative minister has said.
Tobias Ellwood says meetings between constituents and MPs should be suspended.
Yui Mok
The call comes as the longest continuously serving female MP, Harriet Harman, said she would be writing to the Prime Minister urging him to back a Speaker’s Conference to look into what needs to change to ensure parliamentarians are safe in their constituencies.
In the wake of Sir David’s killing, local police forces are contacting every MP to discuss their personal safety and the security of any events they plan to attend.
Tobias Ellwood, a former defence minister, said in-person meetings with voters should be paused while MPs await the results of Home Secretary Priti Patel’s call for police forces to review security arrangements for elected representatives.
The chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, who was hailed as a hero for his attempts to save the life of Pc Keith Palmer during the Westminster terror attack, tweeted: “MP engagement with the public … is a vital part of our work – our accessibility with the public.
“But understandable huge anxiety amongst MPs now.
“Until the Home Secretary’s review of MP security is complete I would recommend a temporary pause in face-to-face meetings.”
