A Gwent MP has received death threats as he called for changes to the way MPs operate following the killing of Sir David Amess MP.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, MP for Torfaen and shadow home secretary, said he had received “death threats, terrible letters, awful emails”.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “I’ve had incidents since I’ve become a member of Parliament, whether it’s intimidation while out on the streets, death threats, terrible letters, awful emails.”
“I am in no sense alone in that. I don’t know a member of Parliament who has not suffered in that way. It’s clear that something now has to change.”
Sir David Amess MP killed
Conservative MP Sir David Amess died after being stabbed multiple times at a meeting with constituents.
The 69-year-old victim, who has been an MP since 1983, was fatally injured at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex midday on Friday.
A 25-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of Sir David's murder and remains in police custody.
He has been detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and a warrant of further detention, which allows detectives to hold the suspect until October 22, was granted at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
The Met earlier said its investigation had "revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism".
Mr Thomas-Symonds told BBC Breakfast that Sir David Amess’s death “hasn’t sunk in”.
“I still have a sense of disbelief, really, about what’s happened,” the Labour MP for Torfaen said.
“It hasn’t really sunk in.”
He described the Conservative MP for Southend West as “a very kind and very generous man”.
“I first met David when I first came into Parliament in 2015,” he said.
“I hadn’t previously worked in Parliament and I was still finding my way around the place.
“David approached me to ask how I was and how I was settling in. That conversation captured the essence of David. He was a very kind and very generous man.”
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