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British MP dies after stabbing

A British lawmaker, Conservative MP Sir David Amess, has died after being stabbed several times today at a constituency meeting east of London.

Police confirmed they have arrested a man in connection with the stabbing.

A British member of parliament died Friday after being stabbed several times at a church, while he was visiting constituents in his home district in southeastern Britain, officials said.

David Amess, 69, was a member of the Conservative Party and represents Southend West in Essex, England.

Police said a 25-year-old suspect is in custody.

“We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the wider public,” Essex Police said in a statement.

Amess, who had been a member of parliament since 1983, was married and had five children.

Amess is the latest British MPs to have been attacked at his weekly constituency “surgery” with voters, which are typically held on Fridays when parliament is not sitting.

Pro-EU lawmaker Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist in 2016 in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.

The Jo Cox Foundation, which was set up in her memory, tweeted that it was “horrified to hear the news of the attack” on Amess.

“We are thinking of him, his family and loved ones at this distressing time,” it added.

Cox’s widower Brendan described the stabbing of Amess was “as cowardly as it gets”.

“Attacking our elected representatives is an attack on democracy itself. There is no excuse, no justification.”

Another Labour MP, Stephen Timms, was stabbed multiple times during an event in 2010, but recovered from “potentially life-threatening injuries” and is still an MP.

Timms said he was “appalled” at the latest attack.

In January 2000, Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones was injured and his assistant killed by a man wielding a ceremonial sword at a constituency surgery in Cheltenham, western England.

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