British lawmakers on Monday fell silent in sombre tribute to a colleague who was stabbed to death while meeting constituents, as police probed whether a suspect arrested was motivated by Islamist extremism.
Members of parliament, many dressed in black, packed the House of Commons and stood heads bowed for a minute’s silence in memory of Conservative MP David Amess, who was killed in a church hall on Friday.
“May the bright memory of his rich life ever outshine the tragic manner of his death,” chaplain Tricia Hillas told the chamber in a prayer.
The attack was the second killing of a UK politician while meeting constituents in five years and prompted calls for an end to sharply divisive partisan rhetoric that has intensified since Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum.
Home Secretary Priti Patel called the death of the well-respected Amess a “terrible and sad moment in our history, an attack on our democracy and an appalling tragedy”.
Earlier, Amess’ widow Julia and other members of his family visited the scene of the attack in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, wiping away tears as she reviewed a sea of floral tributes.
On Sunday, his family said they were “absolutely broken” by his death and made a plea for tolerance.
“Set aside hatred and work towards togetherness. Whatever one’s race, religious or political beliefs, be tolerant and try to understand,” they added.
– ‘Stop dehumanising opponents’ –
Several MPs have spoken out about the dangers they have faced from the public, including Labour’s Chris Bryant who said he notified police after receiving a death threat on Saturday.
Former foreign secretary Dominic Raab said he had had at least three threats to “life and limb” in the past two years, including a warning he would have acid thrown at him.
Bryant attributed the rise in abuse to Brexit and anti-vaccine protests, while the widow of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed by a far-right extremist in 2016, said the “celebration of political segregation” needed to stop.
Last month, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner triggered a storm of protest after describing Conservatives as “scum”.
“We have to stop dehumanising our opponents,” Brendan Cox told Times Radio.
Police have until Friday to detain and question a 25-year-old man, who was arrested at the scene of the stabbing.
Detectives have declared the killing a terrorist incident and said they were investigating “a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism”.
Counter-terror officers from London’s Metropolitan police are leading the probe, with the force saying in its last update late Saturday that they were searching three addresses in the capital.
British media, citing unnamed official sources, have identified the suspect as Ali Harbi Ali, a British national of Somali descent.
On Sunday, officers stood guard outside a three-storey house in a quiet street in the north London district of Kentish Town, where his family is believed to live.
– Search for motive –
Before the attack, the suspect had been referred to Prevent, the official counter-terrorist scheme for those thought to be at risk of radicalisation, according to reports.
His father is a former prime ministerial adviser in Somalia, his uncle is the East African country’s ambassador to China, while his aunt runs a security think tank in the war-ravaged capital Mogadishu, the reports added.
The Times said Monday that police were examining the close ties between Amess and Qatar, given the MP was chairman of a parliamentary group on the Gulf state and returned from his latest visit there earlier this month.
However, other newspapers reported Amess was not specifically targeted but picked randomly as part of a plot to kill any national politician after the suspect was allegedly self-radicalised at home during pandemic lockdowns.
Patel has ordered a review of security measures for parliamentarians and vowed “to close any gaps” in security provision.
Police and parliamentary authorities were implementing “immediate changes and measures that are actively being put in place, and discussed with MPs,” she said Sunday.
But Johnson’s official spokesman told reporters on Monday: “The prime minister shares the concerns… that this attack cannot get in the way of democracy.
“We will not be cowed by those who seek to divide us and spread hate.”
