British MP stabbed to death in church

A British lawmaker from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party was stabbed to death yesterday in a church by a man who attacked him at a meeting with voters from his electoral district.

David Amess, 69, the member of parliament for Southend West in Essex, eastern England, was targeted at around midday at a meeting at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea.

Armed police swooped in on the church and said a man had been arrested. Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Emergency services fought to save his life inside the church, but in vain.

"He was treated by emergency services but, sadly, died at the scene," police said.

"A 25-year-old man was quickly arrested after officers arrived at the scene on suspicion of murder and a knife was recovered."

Colleagues from across parliament expressed their shock and paid tribute to Amess, who held regular meetings with voters on the first and third Friday of the month, saying he was diligent in his duties to his local area.

Amess, married with five children, was first elected to parliament to represent Basildon in 1983, and then stood for election in Southend West in 1997.

"He was stabbed several times," John Lamb, a local councillor at the scene, told Reuters.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called Amess "a dedicated, thoughtful man and a true Parliamentarian, who lost his life while serving the constituents who he worked relentlessly for throughout his career".

Amess is the latest British MPs to have been attacked at his weekly constituency "surgery" with voters, which are typically held on Fridays when parliament is not sitting.

Pro-EU lawmaker Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist in 2016 in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.

Another Labour MP, Stephen Timms, was stabbed multiple times during an event in 2010, but recovered from "potentially life-threatening injuries" and is still an MP.

Timms said he was "appalled" at the latest attack.

In January 2000, Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones was injured and his assistant killed by a man wielding a ceremonial sword at a constituency surgery in Cheltenham, western England.

There was no immediate comment from Johnson, who was leading an away-day for senior ministers in the west of England.

David Cameron, one of his Tory predecessors in Downing Street, said: "Very alarming and worrying news reports coming from Leigh-on-Sea.

"My thoughts and prayers are with Sir David Amess and his family."

Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer called the news "horrific and deeply shocking".