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Conservative MP Sir David Amess has died after being stabbed several times at his constituency surgery.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the attack at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
Sir David, 69, had been an MP for 38 years having first been elected to parliament in 1983.
‘One of life’s truly nice people’: Tributes pour in for MP – live updates
He had been MP for Southend West since 1997, having previously represented the Basildon constituency.
He never held a ministerial role during his long parliamentary career, although he was a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to former ministers Edwina Currie and Michael Portillo in the late 1980s.
Sir David instead focussed his efforts from the back benches of the House of Commons.
He sat on a number of Commons committees during his time in Westminster and also sponsored many parliamentary bills – many of which were focussed on his keen interest in animal welfare.
His interventions in the Commons were often notable for his long-running campaign to get Southend designated as a city.
Sir David was a supporter of Brexit ahead of the 2016 referendum. But he described the years between the vote result and the UK’s official exit from the EU as “three and a half dreadful years in parliament”.
Sir David had been MP for Southend West since 1997
He was raised as a Catholic and had a pro-life stance on abortion issues in the Commons.
Sir David was born in London’s East End in 1952 and both his parents came from relatively poor backgrounds.
Last year, Sir David published a book titled “Ayes & Ears: A Survivor’s Guide to Westminster”, in which he documented his long political career.
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Source : skynews
