Andy Burnham, the incoming prime minister, has called for a 'serious review' of MPs' security following the suspected murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe. Speaking outside the Commons, Burnham said politics has 'darkened' in the near decade since he was last in Westminster and that protections may need to be 'increased further.'
Burnham's Reaction to Widdecombe's Death
Burnham, who recently returned to Parliament as the MP for Makerfield, expressed shock at the heightened security measures now in place. 'I was quite shocked to see how much security now has to be in place, and even so, it may need to be increased further. Politics has darkened in the last decade, there's no getting away from that,' he told reporters.
The veteran politician Miss Widdecombe, 78, was killed in a 'targeted attack' at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon last Thursday. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation. A 28-year-old white British man remains under arrest on suspicion of commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism, as well as on suspicion of murder.
Call for a Serious Review
Burnham, who previously served as MP for Leigh until 2017, recalled his acquaintance with Widdecombe. 'I knew Ann over many years in the House, and you know, we would get along – and everybody would get along. But it feels as though something has changed. It's easy to blame social media, but it feels like it's having some impact in just building that kind of toxicity that's around the political debate.'
He emphasised that the issue cannot be solved by 'easy, glib answers,' adding: 'I do think we need now a serious review of MPs' security. I certainly am prepared to do that.'
Context of Political Violence
Widdecombe's death follows the murders of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in 2021 and Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016. Senior figures in Reform UK, which the former Tory minister joined later in her life, have complained about the level of security their party and its leader Nigel Farage have been offered.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has offered Farage a meeting with the chairman of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the body responsible for security of high-profile figures.
