'Why won't you say the word?': Home secretary refuses to confirm inquiry into murder of Sir David Amess

6 February 2025, 10:13 | Updated: 6 February 2025, 12:33

Nick Ferrari questions Yvette Cooper: 'Why won't you say the word inquiry?'

Yvette Cooper refused to confirm an inquiry into the murder of Sir David Amess even when asked multiple times by Nick Ferrari.

The Home Secretary was asked by LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast whether the government will open an inquiry into the death of Sir David Amess.

The Conservative Southend West MP was stabbed to death as he carried out a constituency surgery at a church in Leigh-on-Sea in October 2021.

It comes after Katie Amess, 39, told LBC there must be an official inquiry into her father's death.

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Despite being asked by Nick several times, Ms Cooper refused to confirm if an inquiry would take place.

After being asked multiple times, she said: "I'm looking at the David Amess case, but also there are two or three other cases which raise some similar issues, and we need to look at the way those questions and questions need to be answered.

"This is stuff that the previous government never did, and as Katie said, it is this, all of these cases did happen before I became Home Secretary, so I'm having to look at a series of. cases that have happened over the last four or five years to see what now needs to be done on the cases that have happened since, like Southport.

Daughter of murdered MP says ‘everyone failed by Prevent’ should get inquiry

"I have acted very fast to make sure that we have the right systems in place, but I am now having to look back at previous cases. You'll understand that is more complicated to do that."

Speaking to Iain Dale on LBC on Wednesday evening, Ms Amess said she welcomed the announcement - but added every victim failed by Prevent deserves an inquiry, not just the Southport victims.

She said: "I welcome the release of it so people can see the stupidity that I have been talking about."But it's not an inquiry and I need an inquiry.

"The Southport case, rightly so, has an inquiry. Everybody else that Prevent failed also needs an inquiry."

She added: "Dan Jarvis said today that a line in the sand has been drawn after Southport.

"Why was that line in the sand not drawn in 2021 when this happened to my dad?"We potentially wouldn't be in the same situation today with repeat failings of Prevent had somebody had just listened to me back when it happened and launched a full public enquiry."

Ms Amess told LBC Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had said she could not promise her an inquiry would be held because she was not in office when Sir David was killed.