Despite the frequent accusations of politicians being “out of touch”, meeting your MP may actually be a lot easier than you think.
Even in Westminster, anyone can go into parliament, plonk themselves down in the ornate central lobby and ask the desk staff to call their elected representative.
Suspect made appointment to see Sir David Amess at constituency office – follow live updates
But while this access is relatively open, security is very tight.
Airport style scanners and metal detectors adorn each entrance, with multiple armed police officers also present.
Contrast this with the circumstances in which Sir David Amess was killed on Friday: in a church, with no security and with his location advertised online in advance.
Yes, the situations are different; but it’s still no surprise that many are now calling for security to be increased at constituency surgeries.
But what are the chances of police officers being deployed? Or metal detectors brought in?
As a standardised policy for every MP, both of these options seem unlikely.
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Should more be done to protect MPs?
Former cabinet minister David Davis said he would not take up the offer of police protection.
He also expressed concern about any loosening of the link between the public and their elected representatives, saying those who came to surgeries were often “the people for whom there is nothing else left”.
Another suggestion from the home secretary was for MPs to move to a pre-booked system for surgeries where those attending are vetted in advance.
Following the murder of Jo Cox in 2016, some MPs have already…
Source : skynews
