Former Lancashire MP remembers "privilege" of working with Sir David Amess

Former West Lancashire MP Ken Hind has joined those paying tribute to the life and achievements of MP Sir David Amess.
MP Sir David AmessMP Sir David Amess
MP Sir David Amess

Ken, who also served as a Ribble Valley Borough Councillor, has issed a statement on behalf of Ribble Valley Conservatives mourning the death of Southend West MP Sir David who was stabbed at a consituency surgery last Friday.

Ken said: "We are all deeply shocked about the sad death of David Amess MP. He was a dedicated constituency MP caring about the people that he represented and he will be greatly missed. He would not want the relationship between MP and constituents to be broken by MPs now retreating behind a wall of security. Providing access for the public to their elected representatives he firmly believed in and his legacy should be for us to continue to maintain this open democracy."

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He continued: "It was my privilege to know him and work with him. David and I entered the House of Commons in 1983 - two of the youngest Conservative MPs at the time. I got to know him as a compassionate kind considerate man determined about issues that concerned him. Both he and I represented new towns as I represented Skelmersdale and he represented Basildon, so we had common interests. We were both members of a number of groups in Parliament. He sponsored some of the bills I introduced ...We were both invited along with Ken Hargreaves MP for Hyndburn, Sir Bernard Braine MP Lord Alton, Ann Widdicombe MP and a few other members by the Pope for a private audience due to the work we were doing on pro- life issues and embryo research...He knew the commitment an MP has to his constituency and wrote me a very understanding compassionate letter after I lost my seat in 1992."

He added: "As a mark of respect to dedicated colleague we will not be campaigning today and and until further notice."