Statement of Sympathy
A statement regarding the death of Sir David Amess, European Association of Political Consultants
By Igor Mintusov, President of the EAPC
On Friday the 15th October, a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom was murdered as he conducted his constituency meetings with residents. The EAPC view this as an attack on democracy, and our thoughts are with Sir David’s family, and all elected politicians, at this difficult time.
Regardless of their political agenda, all politicians must be able to engage directly with voters, and be able to do so without fear of reprisal or personal threats.
The tragic loss of Sir David Amess, who leaves behind his wife of almost 30 years and five children, will be felt across the UK. Whilst measures will be encouraged to put a distance between MPs and voters, we must work together to find a solution that makes it safer for politicians to meet with voters more, not less.
We at the EAPC support closer interactions with voters, and encourage a sensible balance between politicians’ security and accessibility.
Over the last five years in the UK, two Members of Parliament have been murdered, while hundreds of others have received death threats. We also remember Joe Cox of the Labour Party, who was the victim of deadly violence during the Brexit campaign.The anger and hatred of those intent on stopping democratically elected representatives going about their jobs will be met with more democracy, and a global effort to encourage the removal of hatred from the political space.