21/03/2025 European Conference of Presidents of Parliament
“It is shocking and heart breaking to think that being a Member of Parliament, representing a constituency’s interests, is one of the riskiest professions in the country”, today Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons said today addressing the European Conference of Speakers of Parliament.
“In 2016 we lost Jo Cox, an MP shot and stabbed in a brutal act of terrorism. And in 2021, my friend and colleague, Sir David Amess, another Member of Parliament, was stabbed and killed while working with his constituents. Jo and David were all helping others, serving our nation. They did not deserve to die”, he added.
“We need to understand the underlying causes of the violence and threats ensure we have the capabilities, legislation, joined up systems and political will to pursue those who would wish our parliamentarians harm. We need to reduce the threat”, Sir Lindsay Hoyle stressed. “It's clear that if we allow current levels of violence and intimidation to continue, this will have a lasting impact on our democracies”, he added.