Housing leaders pay tribute to murdered MP

Leading politicians operating in the housing industry have paid tribute to murdered backbencher Sir David Amess.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “David Amess’s passing is heart-breakingly sad. Just terrible, terrible news. He was a good and gentle man, he showed charity and compassion to all, hIs every word and act were marked by kindness. My heart goes out to his family.”

And housing minister Chris Pincher wrote on Twitter: “My thoughts are with David Amess’s family, his many friends and colleagues and all who knew and loved him at this awful time. RIP David.”

Another minister at the newly-renamed Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - Kemi Badenoch - wrote: “Basildon man is gone and my heart is broken. Thank you, David Amess, for being my friend, for always smiling, the great advice and endless notes of encouragement. And for our last conversation in the lobby before recess. And of course your wonderful book. I will never forget you.”

Lucy Powell, Labour’s shadow housing secretary, tweeted: “This is totally heart-breaking. Tragic. Such a lovely, decent man who has served his constituents and the country so well for so long. I only last met with him a few weeks ago about building and fire safety issues on which he’s tirelessly campaigned for years. What a loss.”

One of Amess' biggest Parliamentary successes was considered to be the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000.

The legislation has been credited in leading to a change in successive governments’ policy towards fuel poverty in the UK, which fell from 5.1m households in 1996 to 1.2m in 2004.

The fatal stabbing of Ames’s on Friday, while working at a constituency surgery, has been declared a terrorist incident.