Murdered Catholic MP Sir David Amess honoured with seafront statue
A statue of murdered Catholic politician Sir David Amess has been unveiled his former constituency town of Southend. Sir David, the Conservative MP for Southend West, Essex, was stabbed to death while holding a surgery for constituents in Leigh-on-Sea in October 2021. Ali Harbi Ali, a British Muslim of Somali origin, was in 2022 convicted The post Murdered Catholic MP Sir David Amess honoured with seafront statue appeared first on Catholic Herald.
Syndicated News 
A statue of murdered Catholic politician Sir David Amess has been unveiled his former constituency town of Southend.
Sir David, the Conservative MP for Southend West, Essex, was stabbed to death while holding a surgery for constituents in Leigh-on-Sea in October 2021.
Ali Harbi Ali, a British Muslim of Somali origin, was in 2022 convicted of murdering the 69-year-old father of five and was given a whole life sentence by an Old Bailey judge.
The popular backbench politicians has now been honoured with a life-size statue on a grass bank by Chalkwell Esplanade where he appears to be looking out over the estuary.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Lady Julia Amess, Sir David’s widow, along with other family members, friends, and such political figures as Dame Priti Patel and Ann Widdecombe, a fellow Catholic and former Tory Minister.
They were entertained by songs from the Music Man Project, a group championed by Sir David which teaches music to children and adults with learning disabilities, and from the Orpheus Choir.
Miss Widdecombe read out a statement on behalf of Sir David’s family which said: “David is hugely missed and as a family we are devastated by his loss but events like today make us feel that he is with us forever and that his light remains.
“I and all my family thank you so much.”
The statue was blessed by Fr Jeffrey Woolnough, parish priest at St Peter’s Catholic Church in Eastwood in Southend, near to where Sir David died, according to the Daily Mail.
Julie Cushion, who was Sir David’s constituency assistant, told the newspaper: “It’s lovely we will now have this site to remember this wonderful man and the wonderful MP.”
She said Sir David “used to walk his dogs up and down here on a very regular basis”.
The statue was made by sculptor Andrew Lilley and funded by private donations, including from Dr Vijay Patel.
(Photos courtesy of Lord Alton of Liverpool)
The post Murdered Catholic MP Sir David Amess honoured with seafront statue appeared first on Catholic Herald.
