Status: 10/17/2021 3:21 p.m.
In Great Britain, the security measures for members of parliament have been tightened after the attack. In addition, it became known that the suspect is said to have attended a prevention program against radicalization.
Following the murder of British MP David Amess, the government tightened security for members of parliament. British Home Secretary Priti Patel told Sky News that the police and parliament had implemented “immediate changes”. This includes that the MPs should share information about their whereabouts with the police. Better protection of MPs’ office hours is “currently being considered,” said Patel.
Patel announced that the government would “do absolutely everything” to better protect MPs. It is currently being examined how security gaps could be closed. “But that should never tear the connection between an elected representative and his democratic role, responsibility and duty to the electorate,” said Patel.
Consultation hours take place weekly
The President of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, had also called for a debate about the safety of politicians. But it was “essential” that the MPs could maintain their relationship with the citizens, said Hoyle. “We have to make sure that democracy survives,” continued Hoyle. Amess’ fellow party member Tobias Ellwood, known for his courageous first aid work after a terrorist attack on Parliament in 2017, called for the temporary suspension of physical meetings between MPs and citizens.
British MPs, who are all directly elected in their constituencies, offer regular consultation hours with citizens, which can also be attended at short notice. The so-called “surgeries” are usually held once a week and are an important part of democratic culture in Britain. Labor MP Jo Cox was also murdered by a right-wing extremist during a public consultation in 2016.
Alleged perpetrator participated in prevention program
The anti-terrorism division of Scotland Yard took over the investigation into the murder. The suspect arrested after the offense is still being held on the basis of the Terrorism Act, but no charges have yet been brought. According to the BBC, the alleged killer – a British citizen of Somali origin – had attended a radicalization prevention program in previous years.
Accordingly, the 25-year-old did not take part in the voluntary program for long; this was also several years ago. According to the report, the domestic intelligence service MI5 did not have him on their radar as a potential threat. The so-called Prevent Program is now to be reviewed by an independent party. “We want to make sure that it is functional and robust, that it does the right thing, but most of all that we learn from it,” said Patel.
Police assume lone perpetrators
According to information from the “Sunday Times”, the attacker is said to have “radicalized himself”. According to the police, initial investigations had shown “a possible motivation in connection with Islamist extremism”. The suspect’s father, a former senior advisor to the Somali government, confirmed to the newspaper that the person arrested was his son. He told the newspaper that he felt “very traumatized”.
The police assume that it is a lone perpetrator. As Scotland Yard announced, three house searches took place in the London area in connection with the case.
Conservative Amess was stabbed to death by an assailant on Friday during a citizens’ clinic in his constituency in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. The 25-year-old was arrested on the spot immediately after the crime.