Burnham-On-Sea’s MP has paid tribute to those who died in yesterday’s terrorism attack in Westminster and called the incident “an attack against our freedom.”
James Heappey was in the House of Commons at the time of the attack and his staff saw the incident unfold from his Westminster office in which five people were killed.
Mr Heappey says: “People don’t always agree with everything we do in Parliament each day. That’s politics. But our freedom to speak our minds freely in the House of Commons on behalf of our constituents is the cornerstone of our nation’s great democracy.”
“An attack on Parliament is not an attack on the bricks and mortar of the Palace of Westminster, nor is it an attack on the MPs working inside, it is an attack against our freedom and against our country.”
“Those of us who work in Parliament each day will breeze through the security every morning and all too often won’t notice the police and security staff that are there to protect us whilst we work.”
“On Wednesday A policeman stood his ground to stop an attacker getting into Parliament. He lost his life doing so. Eventually we were all able to go home. He won’t.”
“My heart goes out to his family, friends and colleagues. It will be no consolation to them whatsoever but he died protecting our Parliament and therefore our democracy and our great country. I am so grateful to him and all of those who protect us in Westminster for doing so.”
