Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has rejected calls from Sir David’s family for a public inquiry (Image: PA)
The daughter of murdered Tory MP Sir David Amess broke down in tears after being told the Government had refused to sanction a public inquiry into his death.
Widely respected Sir David was stabbed to death by ISIS fanatic Ali Harbi Ali during a constituency surgery at a church hall in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in October 2021. He was 69.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper rejected calls from Sir David’s family for a public inquiry in a letter branded “unacceptable” and “insulting” by his widow and daughter.
In a letter addressed to Lady Julia Amess and Katie Amess Ms Cooper said it was “hard to see how an inquiry would be able to go beyond” the terrorist’s trial.
He had become radicalised by ISIS propaganda and been referred to the anti-terror programme Prevent twice before the attack. He was given a whole-life sentence in 2022.
Katie Amess sobbed as she said her father’s death had “stolen” her family’s life.
She said: “Why do I share all that personal pain and agony with you?
“Because this matters. It really matters. I want Sir Keir and Yvette Cooper to know exactly what the consequences are when the very government agencies that are set up to protect people like my dad, and members of the public, fail.
“Doing paper review after paper review into what happened, like what they have done since the day my dad was murdered, is simply not enough.”
Sir David was murdered by ISIS inspired fanatic Ali Harbi Ali on October 2021. He was 69 (Image: PA)
Lady Amess and her daughter are due to meet the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary on Wednesday.
Ali had been referred to Prevent seven years before he killed Sir David but his case was closed in 2016.
Sir David’s family received a letter rejecting their call for a public inquiry into the case on Thursday.
In her letter, Ms Cooper said: “You had initially asked me to support the resumption of the coronial inquest which, as I said in my last letter of 17 December 2024, is a decision I cannot interfere with given the coroner’s independent judicial role, although I do recognise how difficult this is for you.
“I am aware that you have since requested a full public inquiry.
“As you will know, the coroner looked carefully at whether to resume an inquest into Sir David’s death following the criminal trial, but concluded there were no additional questions that could be answered through an investigation of this kind, that had not already been considered as part of the trial.
“In the circumstances it is therefore hard to see how an inquiry would be able to go beyond what has been reviewed in the trial, Prevent learning review, coroner’s report, as well as Lord Anderson and Essex Police’s forthcoming conclusions.
“On that basis, the Government cannot establish a public inquiry.”
Ali was given a whole life sentence in 2022 (Image: PA)
Father-of-five Sir David was MP for Southend West from 1997 until his murder in 2021. He previously served as MP for Basildon from 1983 to 1997.
He was a devoted Catholic and family man who held socially conservative political views and was in favour of Britain leaving the .
The Home Secretary told the family she had decided to “appoint an independent external reviewer to look across the findings of the investigative work and scrutiny already completed or under way”.
She continued: “I realise this is not the answer you were looking for.
“I remain keen to discuss this with you in the forthcoming meeting with the Prime Minister.”
Lady Amess said the Government should reconsider its position for the “security of all public servants, and for every citizen who deserves to know that when the state fails”.
She said: “Despite our repeated calls, we have been denied the one thing that can provide real answers – a full public inquiry.”
“To pour salt on the wound, Yvette Cooper has now written us a totally unacceptable and, quite frankly, insulting letter confirming that the Government will not order an inquiry, and that all the investigations to date should satisfy us.
“Well, I can tell her they most certainly do not.”
She added: “He (Sir Keir) must go away and reconsider the Government’s position and call us back in to confirm that an inquiry will be granted.
“Not just for our family, but for the security of all public servants, and for every citizen who deserves to know that, when the state fails, it will be held accountable and steps will be taken to ensure there is no repeat.”