U.K. politicians pay tribute at church where MP David Amess was killed
Global News
David Amess, a long-serving British lawmaker, was stabbed to death Friday in what police have described as a terrorist incident.
Leaders from across the political spectrum came together Saturday to pay tribute to a long-serving British lawmaker who was stabbed to death in what police have described as a terrorist incident.
Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, and the non-partisan speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, arrived at the church where David Amess was stabbed multiple times while meeting with constituents. A 25-year-old British man is in custody over the attack.
The politicians went up individually to the front of Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, a town about 40 miles (62 kilometers) east of London to pay their respects to the Conservative lawmaker, who had been a member of the British Parliament since 1983. After laying flowers, they returned to their vehicles, escorted by a police convoy.
In a statement early Saturday, the Metropolitan Police described the attack as terrorism and said the early investigation “has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.” It did not provide any details about the basis for that assessment.
As part of the investigation, officers were searching two locations in the London area, the police force said.
Authorities have not identified the suspect, who was held on suspicion of murder. Police said they believed the suspect acted alone, and were not seeking anyone else in connection with the killing, though investigations continue.
Amess, 69, was attacked around midday Friday. Paramedics tried without success to save him. Police arrested the suspect and recovered a knife.
Amess, a popular lawmaker, did not serve as a government minister during his long career. Though he was a social conservative on issues such as capital punishment and abortion, he had a reputation of being a fixer in Parliament, of being able to forge alliances across the political divide.