conservative party since 1997 and was a high—profile brexit supporter and a member of the european research groupl our hearts are full of shock and sadness today at the loss of sir david amess, mp, who was killed in his constituency surgery in a church after almost a0 years of continuous service to the people of essex and the whole of the united kingdom. and the reason i think people are so shocked and saddened is, above all, he was one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics. the police investigation is still in its early stages, but a 25—year—old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. detectives say the man was detained shortly after officers arrived, and a knife was recovered at the scene. one witness who was opposite the church when it happened told me he saw a woman coming out and calling an ambulance, and then, after armed police arrived, he saw a man of african appearance being led away. as constituents gathered near the church, there was a sense of acute shock. and all were keen to pay tribute, regardless of which party they had voted for. it's so tragic. this is suc