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Government rejects call for inquiry into MP murder

Lewis Adams
BBC News, Essex
Getty Images Sir David Amess, smiling, wearing a navy suit and olive green tie in front of wooden s.Getty Images
Sir David Amess died after he was stabbed more than 20 times

The home secretary has rejected calls from the family of MP Sir David Amess for a public inquiry into his murder.

In a letter addressed to Lady Julia Amess and Katie Amess, Yvette Cooper said it was "hard to see how an inquiry would be able to go beyond" killer Ali Harbi Ali's trial and recently published Prevent learning review.

Katie Amess, daughter of Sir David, said Cooper's words were "adding salt on to an open wound", branding them "unacceptable" and "insulting".

Sir David, the Conservative MP for Southend West, was stabbed to death by Ali, a fanatic of so-called Islamic State, at a constituency surgery on 15 October 2021.

PA Media Katie Amess uses a tissue to wipe away tears during a press conference. She has blonde hair and is wearing a knitted blue cardigan.PA Media
Katie Amess told a press conference on Monday that she felt betrayed by the home secretary

His widow, Lady Amess, said Sir Keir Starmer should "go away and reconsider the government's position" ahead of the family's meeting with the prime minister and the home secretary on Wednesday.

Describing her reaction to the letter, Katie Amess said she felt "sadness, betrayal, pain and just heartbreak, really".

At a press conference on Monday, she said: "How can the government justify holding inquiries for other tragic events like Southport and Nottingham and yet refuse to investigate the very system that failed my father":[]}