Iain Dale: Make Southend a city to honour Sir David Amess

16 October 2021, 14:04

Iain Dale calls for Amess' wishes to be granted

LBC guests accelerate calls to grant Southend city status to honour the life and work of the late Sir David Amess.

"I can't imagine David Amess ever being in a bad mood" Iain Dale told Matt Frei after the Conservative MP was stabbed to death in his constituency on Friday.

Iain told Matt "he was just a very kind person, and a great campaigner as well", referencing some of the advocacy work Sir David undertook in his tenure.

Read more: Tributes left to Tory MP Sir David Amess as police declare terror incident

"There can be two big things that could be his legacy now" Iain said, proposing a way to respect the man.

"He's fought for years to get Southend made into a city. I would have thought that'd be something very easy for Boris Johnson to bring about." Twitter users have echoed Iain's calls since Friday afternoon.

Read more: 'Our hearts are filled with shock and sadness': PM's tribute to Sir David Amess

Constituent tells Maajid Nawaz Southend should be made a city

Councillor calls for Southend City status to commemorate Amess

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"He's also been campaigning for a statue of Dame vera lynn to be put on the white Cliffs of Dover, again I can't think of a single person in the country that would be against that," Iain added.

Councillor Tony Cox of Southend Borough Council also spoke in tribute to his friend and colleague: "What would he want me to do – locally – to champion?" He wondered.

"I can't think of any more fitting tribute into letting Southend have city status," Mr Cox told Matt.

He concluded by suggesting that the very idea that we're discussing his raison d'être means that "he's probably looking down on us now thinking 'my work here is done'."

Read more: Sir David Amess 'moved surgery to church so more constituents could attend'