U.K. lawmaker dies after stabbing during constituency meeting | CBC News

“We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the wider public,” police said.

The force said later that a man injured in the stabbing had died. It did not release his name. The suspect is being held on suspicion of murder, police said.

Sky News and others said Amess was attacked during a regular meeting with constituents at Belfairs Methodist Church in a residential area of Leigh-on-Sea, a seaside town east of London.

Aerial footage showed several ambulances and an air ambulance waiting nearby to the church.

Amess was first elected to Parliament to represent Basildon in 1983, and then stood for Southend West in 1997. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his public service in 2015.

He was popular with lawmakers and known for his active contributions to debates — often about issues relating to his Essex constituency or animal rights.

He was a well-liked member of Parliament, best known for his ceaseless campaign to have Southend declared a city.

Flags lowered at Parliament

Politicians from across the political spectrum expressed shock and sorrow at the death of Amess, who leaves a wife and five children. Flags at Parliament in London were lowered to half-mast.

“This is an incident that will send shockwaves across the parliamentary community and the whole country,” House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said. “In the coming days we will need to discuss and examine MPs’ security and any measures to be taken, but for now, our thoughts and prayers are with David’s family, friends and colleagues.”

Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer tweeted that it was, “Horrific and deeply shocking news. Thinking of David, his family and his staff.”

Former prime minister David Cameron, a Conservative, tweeted: “Very alarming and worrying news reports coming from Leigh-on-Sea. My thoughts and prayers are with Sir David Amess and his family.”

Violence against British politicians is rare, but in June 2016, Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox was fatally stabbed and shot in her northern England constituency. A far-right extremist was convicted of her murder.

Cox’s widower, Brendan Cox, tweeted that, “Attacking our elected representatives is an attack on democracy itself. There is no excuse, no justification. It is as cowardly as it gets.”

British lawmakers are protected by armed police when they are inside Parliament, but have no such protection in their constituencies. Amess published the times and locations of his open meetings with constituents on his website.

Two other British lawmakers have been attacked this century during their “surgeries,” regular meetings where constituents can present concerns and complaints.

Labour legislator Stephen Timms was stabbed in the stomach and injured in May 2010 by a female student radicalized by online sermons from an al-Qaeda-linked preacher.

In 2000, Liberal Democrat lawmaker Nigel Jones and his aide Andrew Pennington were attacked by a man wielding a sword during such a meeting. Pennington was killed and Jones injured in the attack in Cheltenham, England.