David Amess

Sir David Amess
Official portrait, 2020
Member of Parliament for Southend West
In office 1 May 1997 – 15 October 2021
Preceded by	Paul Channon
Succeeded by	Anna Firth
Member of Parliament for Basildon
In office 9 June 1983 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Harvey Proctor
Succeeded by	Angela Smith
Personal details
Born	David Anthony Andrew Amess (1952-03-26)26 March 1952 Plaistow, Essex, England
Died	15 October 2021(2021-10-15) (aged 69) Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England
Cause of death	Murder (stab wounds)
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Julia Arnold ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	5, including Katie
Education	St Bonaventure's Grammar School
Alma mater	Bournemouth University (BSc)
Committees	Health (1998–2008) Panel of Chairs (2001–2021) Backbench Business (2010–2015) Administration (2015–2020)
Awards	Knight Bachelor (2015)
Website	Official website

Sir David Anthony Andrew Amess (/ˈeɪmɪs/ AY-miss; 26 March 1952 – 15 October 2021) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Southend West from 1997 until his murder in 2021. He previously served as MP for Basildon from 1983 to 1997. A member of the Conservative Party, he was a Catholic with socially conservative political views, and was in favour of Britain leaving the European Union.

Born and raised in Essex, Amess studied economics and government at Bournemouth University and then had short careers as a primary school teacher, underwriter and recruitment consultant. He was elected a Conservative councillor for Redbridge in 1982 and MP for Basildon at the 1983 general election. His position was seen as a bellwether seat, exemplifying the enthusiasm of the "Essex man" for the government of Margaret Thatcher. He held the seat in the election of 1992, but when boundary changes made it untenable, he became MP for Southend West at the 1997 general election and served the constituency until his death.

In government, his highest position was as parliamentary private secretary to Michael Portillo for twelve years. He was more prominent as a backbencher, serving on many select committees and sponsoring several pieces of legislation, including the Protection against Cruel Tethering Act 1988 and the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. The causes for which he campaigned included animal welfare, awarding city status to Southend-on-Sea, the honouring of Raoul Wallenberg, and support for those suffering from endometriosis.

Amess was knighted in the 2015 New Year Honours for political and public service. On 15 October 2021, Amess was murdered at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea by Ali Harbi Ali. Southend was granted city status as a memorial to Amess in 2022.