David Amess - a husband, a father of five and a human being - murdered on Friday 15 October 2021.
Sir David was knighted in 2015 for 'political and public service', having been an MP since 1983. Essex born and bred, he was the MP for Basildon until that constituency was abolished by boundary changes in 1997. At the general election that year he was selected for the vacant Conservative seat of Southend West. He held the seat, but with a significantly reduced majority - down from 11,902 to just 2,615. Fast forward to 2019 and the Tory majority in Southend West was 14,459.
The 69-year-old was a practising Roman Catholic, an opponent of gay marriage, a Brexiteer and a staunch advocate of animal rights.
His murder was condemned by party leaders across the political divide.
