MPs offered security guards during constituency speeches

MPs were offered trained security guard during meetings with voters following last week’s killing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

Interior Minister Priti Patel and Municipal Spokesman Sir Lindsay Hoyle made the offer in a joint letter to MPs.

They said terrorist attacks on parliamentarians were perceived as “probable”, but there was no information indicating a “specific and credible imminent threat”.

The threat level for MPs was raised to “substantial” this week.

The terrorist threat to the UK as a whole is currently also considered “substantial”, it means that an attack is “probable”.

Sir Lindsay and Ms. Patel said the reviews were conducted in “appropriate police support”.

“The work you do as parliamentarians both in your constituencies and in this House can put you at odds with a wide range of ideologies and points of view, and a small minority of hostile individuals can be motivated by grievances that are difficult to detect and whose actions are difficult to predict, “they said.

MPs regularly hold surgeries in public buildings, such as churches and libraries, where voters can seek advice and support, and the couple urged MPs who hold such meetings to accept the offer of protection from “security workers.”

However, some have expressed concern over the presence of guards which could discourage voters seeking help.

Security measures for MPs increased following the murder of Labor MP Jo Cox in 2016, and MPs were offered panic buttons, extra lighting, additional locks and emergency remotes in their homes and polling offices.

Spending on such precautions increased from £ 170,576 in 2015/16 to £ 4.5 million two years later.

However, some MPs told the BBC that they had problems getting funding for safety improvements.

One MP, who wished to remain anonymous, said police advised them to install unbreakable windows in their officer, but IPSA, which pays the parliamentarians’ bills, did not provide the money.

However, the IPSA said it will bear the cost of the additional measures resulting from the Interior Ministry’s review of the security of parliamentarians.