UK General Discussion:The Rt. Hon Alex Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Populist Hero

[afleitch]

I mean look at the state of this.

https://mobile.twitter.com/demarionunn/status/1448656978830495750

[NewYorkExpress]

The police commissioner of North Yorkshire has been sacked after comments he made blaming a murder victim for her murder by a police officer.

A British police chief resigned Thursday after sparking an outcry with comments he made about how women should be more “streetwise” when he spoke about the abduction, rape and murder of a woman by a police officer.

Philip Allott stepped down as North Yorkshire police, fire and crime commissioner after being accused of misogyny and victim blaming for comments he made in a radio interview in the aftermath of the sentencing of London police officer Wayne Couzens.


Couzens was convicted last month of tricking 33-year-old Sarah Everard into his car by arresting her on the pretext of breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules, then raping and murdering her.

In the BBC interview earlier this month, Allott said women “need to be streetwise about when they can be arrested and they can’t be arrested.” He said Everard should “never have been arrested and submitted to that.”

[Conservatopia]

Tory MP David Amess has just been stabbed at his constituency surgery.

[StateBoiler]

Tory MP David Amess has just been stabbed at his constituency surgery.

Not just stabbed. Stabbed 32 times.

[afleitch]

Utterly horrific.

[Torrain]

Tory MP David Amess has just been stabbed at his constituency surgery.

Just heard the news - this is awful. Amess has been a public servant for decades, and this is unconscionable.

This can’t keep happening. Whether this as politically motivated as Jo Cox’s attack remains to be seen (but I’ve got an awful gut feeling that it is), but holding in-person surgeries and constituent events is a cornerstone of the constituency system and local democracy.

There has be some way of keeping people safe during these events. Just awful. So awful.

[Torrain]

I’ve also been reminded that Stephen Timms was assaulted in 2010 in a similar surgery event.
That’s 3 times in 11 years. This is unacceptable.

[Property Representative of the Harold Holt Swimming Centre]

Tory MP David Amess has just been stabbed at his constituency surgery.

Not just stabbed. Stabbed 32 times.

Ugh, I just caught it elsewhere and it sounded as though it wasn't as serious as that at first.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I’ve also been reminded that Stephen Timms was assaulted in 2010 in a similar surgery event.
That’s 3 times in 11 years. This is unacceptable.

And some other attempts have been prevented before they have happened. Someone was locked up the other year for planning to attack Bridget Phillipson, and another a bit before for planning to attack Rosie Cooper. The reasons vary: sometimes the perpetrator/would-be perpetrator is a political extremist (Neo-Nazi being relatively common, but the one who nearly killed Stephen Timms was an Islamist), sometimes they are extremely mentally ill. Sometimes both.

[Conservatopia]

Not to mention all the threats of violence MPs receive.  It's a wonder that it hasn't happened more frankly.  Hopefully this leads to some form of protection being put in place because MPs, particularly outspoken MPs like Duffield et al must be at serious risk from the bilious disgusting people who do these things.

[Torrain]

Reuters is reporting the death of a man at the scene of the crime.

No further details available on the identity at this time.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Tory MP David Amess has just been stabbed at his constituency surgery.

Not just stabbed. Stabbed 32 times.

I've not seen that confirmed anywhere, but certainly multiple times. Latest is that an air-ambulance was flown to the scene and that he's being treated there: condition described as 'very serious'. This is very much not a good description.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This is really horrific. He was a silly old fool, but the penalty for that should not be death. Nightmarish and you feel terrible for his family, absolutely awful for them.

[BigSerg]

Stabbed Conservative MP David Amess (69) is dead

[Conservatopia]

He was a silly old fool, but the penalty for that should not be death.

He was a good MP with similar political views to my own.  It's a bit beneath you to attack him now.

[gerritcole]

RIP Mr Amess...

[beesley]

RIP Mr Amess. He was actually highly-regarded by his colleagues as a very likeable man, thoroughly dedicated to the people of Southend West (and Basildon previously), and as a very active Member of Parliament, the sort of person we might increasingly lack now.

Of course this brings up greater concerns about the safety of all public officials - the attacks on three MPs in the last decade, the hounding of journalists and Sir Chris Whitty in the street by potentially armed or violent individuals, and the continued threats in situations like that of Northern Ireland.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Rest in peace.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

He was a silly old fool, but the penalty for that should not be death.

He was a good MP with similar political views to my own.  It's a bit beneath you to attack him now.

I'm not attacking him. A lot of people are silly old fools and generally they're harmless, pleasant and basically well-intentioned people. It makes someone like that being murdered all the more incomprehensible.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Extract from the police statement:

A man has been arrested on suspicion murder after a man was stabbed in Leigh-on-Sea.

"We were called to an address in Eastwood Road North shortly after 12.05pm today (Friday, 15 October).

"We attended and found a man injured.

"He was treated by emergency services but, sadly, died at the scene.

"A 25-year-old man was quickly arrested after officers arrived at the scene on suspicion of murder and a knife was recovered.

"He is currently in custody.

"We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.

It should be possible to work out exactly what happened very quickly.

[afleitch]

Yes, Sir David Amess is not someone with remotely similar views to mine but he wasn't a carpetbagger, a careerist, or media talking head but instead was an exemplary local MP.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

One of the more attractive small 'd' democratic features of the British political system is the accessibility of its political figures, even very senior ones. An MP's surgery is basically open-house and it's common to see politicians use public transport like ordinary people: I once sat behind a sleeping man on a train who I realised after a few seconds was Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales at the time - he had an aide with him, but no security. The frequency of serious attacks on politicians - and of deaths - probably puts this at risk, at least in its present form. Sweden, of course, has had similar issues.

[Blair]

Absolutely terrible news. This will be awful for his family and staff.

[Torrain]

One of the more attractive small 'd' democratic features of the British political system is the accessibility of its political figures, even very senior ones. An MP's surgery is basically open-house and it's common to see politicians use public transport like ordinary people: I once sat behind a sleeping man on a train who I realised after a few seconds was Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales at the time - he had an aide with him, but no security. The frequency of serious attacks on politicians - and of deaths - probably puts this at risk, at least in its present form. Sweden, of course, has had similar issues.

Totally agree. My MP growing up was Sir Menzies Campbell. Some of my first political memories are of meeting him in the tearoom of our town museum, where he’d occasionally show up, without aides or security.

Whether as leader of the Lib Dems, a backbencher, or later as Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, he was willing to just show up and take questions. He even came and debated Scottish Independence with our then-SNP MSP for over an hour in our stifling school library in front of a fairly hostile group of teenagers.

Having a decent MP made us feel seen, and represented - and greatly fuelled my own interest in the subject. The accessibility of British politics is one of its hidden strengths.

 I think it’s really important that we don’t let this incident kill that culture of relative access - and face-to-face accountability, which has done so much for local issues and political involvement.

[Blair]

The constituency link is the one of the greatest thing about our politics and MPs do not get enough credit for the amount of work they do behind the scenes, with little or no public mention.