Former MP calls for "intelligent debate" into security for politicians
Stephen Twigg says connections between MPs and constituents must not be be broken amid calls for tighter rules following the death of Sir David Amess
Last updated 18th Oct 2021
Former Labour MP Stephen Twigg has called for an "intelligent debate" about the security of MPs and their staff.
The former Shadow Education Secretary has told us he has received threats in the past, but wants any new measures to ensure connections between MPs and their constituents are not broken.
It follows the murder of Sir David Amess in his Southend constituency last week, and Jo Cox in June 2016.
In the last 48 hours, other MPs, including Labour's Chris Bryant, and Deputy PM Dominic Raab have spoken of receiving death threats.
"We need an intelligent debate"
Twigg, who is now Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association after standing down from the Liverpool West Derby seat in 2019, told us he'd reflected strongly on events in Southend:
"I think we need to have a really intelligent debate, but I would not want to lose that access between an MP and their constituents."
"I always thought, as an MP, it was important to be open and accessible to constituents, including having advice sessions in public venues, and so they would be very open.
Speaking about his time as a serving MP, Twigg revealed he had received threats, and he sympathised with other politicians who are experiencing the same thing:
"We had an appointment system, not every MP does that. But when Jo Cox was murdered five years ago we did have Police at some surgeries for a while, but that wasn't something that continued.
"There were occasional threats where we had to inform Police, but there are MPs living with that here and in other parts of the world and clearly that is something that has to be addressed seriously, as long as that doesn't break the link between MPs and their constituencies."
A review into the security of MPs will be published "in the next few days" according to Home Secretary Priti Patel.
"I don't think there will be a one-size-fits-all solution. Clearly security and safety for MPs and their staff as well as other constituents is important. We should also remember MPs do a lot of other work, like school visits and other public occasions that are often known about in advance.
"I think it would be very sad if MPs felt they couldn't do those things any more, going forward."
Reflecting on general attitudes to politicians Twigg told us: "There is a lot of disenchantment around politics, but there have been surveys in the past that show people's view of their local MP is much more positive than MPs in general, and I think a lot of that is about being seen, about being accessible in the local community and I think it would be very sad if that was lost.
"A tragic and sad loss"
Stephen Twigg echoed the tributes about Sir David that have been widely shared since his death: "I was utterly shocked when I heard the news, I worked with David when I was a member of parliament. He was involved in the UK branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association where I now work.
"The tributes to him, the cross party tributes, the tributes from his constituents, from all the charities he was involved with are absolutely spot on. It's a very tragic and sad loss."