Murdered MP's daughter says politicians still face real safety risks
Five years after Conservative MP Sir David Amess was murdered, his daughter says the danger to politicians in the UK has not eased, as a new government-commissioned safety review gets under way.
Five years on from the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, his daughter says the threat facing UK politicians remains a pressing and ongoing reality. Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg's programme, she described the years since her father's death as "absolutely devastating and heartbreaking" and repeated her call for a full public inquiry into politicians' safety, with complete transparency.
Her comments follow a string of recent incidents. Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe died in July, and the man charged with her murder has also been accused of preparing acts of terrorism, including a plot targeting Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Widdecombe was not a sitting MP at the time of her death — she represented Maidstone and the Weald for the Conservatives from 1987 to 2010 and later joined Reform UK. Amess's daughter noted that Widdecombe had been a close family friend, whom she called "Aunt Ann".
New review and other cases
A new review into the safety of politicians is being led by former Conservative justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland, with findings expected within six months.
Separately, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch confirmed that a man who admitted sending her threatening messages had also targeted her family. Kieran Kyle, 43, pleaded guilty in September to two counts of sending offensive communications and is due to be sentenced on 29 October. Badenoch said threats against politicians, including Farage and Prime Minister Keir Starmer — whose home was reportedly firebombed — appear to be increasing.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said he too had faced safety threats, adding that a balance must be struck between politicians remaining accessible to the public and being properly protected, even if that requires additional public spending.
Amess's daughter said her father had loved meeting constituents and would not have wanted surgeries to stop, though he would have wanted to be warned about anyone flagged as a potential threat. His killer, Ali Harbi Ali, had been referred to the government's Prevent counter-terrorism programme in 2014, but the case was closed in 2016. A review published in February 2025 found the case had been closed too early, following flawed assessments.
