London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Sir David Amess: Southend to become a city in honour of MP

Sir David Amess: Southend to become a city in honour of MP

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the Queen has agreed Southend will be granted city status following the killing of MP Sir David Amess.

Sir David was stabbed to death at Belfairs Methodist Church on Friday.

He regularly championed Southend's case to be a city during his time in Parliament.

Mr Johnson told the House of Commons he was "happy" to announce Southend "will be accorded the city status it so clearly deserves".

The prime minister said: "That Sir David spent almost 40 years in this House, but not one day in ministerial office, tells everything about where his priorities lay."

People in Leigh-on Sea have been remembering Sir David

He added Sir David "never once witnessed any achievement by any resident of Southend that could not somehow be cited in his bid to secure city status for that distinguished town".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told Parliament he was "so pleased" by the announcement.

Sir Keir said the news was "a fitting tribute to Sir David's hard work".

James Duddridge, who represents Rochford and Southend East, the constituency neighbouring Sir David's Southend West seat, said the decision "means a lot to everybody".

He said residents did not want Southend to be remembered as the city where Sir David was killed but " for characteristics such as its pier, airport and football".

Sir David, who championed Southend's bid for city status as part of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, was described by Home Secretary Priti Patel as "Mr Southend" following his death.

As well as bringing extra prestige, city status is an opportunity for areas to attract more tourism and boost the local economy.

On its website, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, which had campaigned with Sir David, previously said city status would bring not only "prestige and standing, but an opportunity to lever further investment".

Southend is a tourist hotspot and has a thriving creative arts scene

On the latest announcement, council leader Ian Gilbert said he felt a "mixture of emotions" after hearing the news.

He said it was "clearly what Sir David would have wanted".

"While I don't want it to have come in these circumstances, I'm still pleased and proud that it is happening," he added.

Leader of the council's Conservative group, Tony Cox, said the decision meant Sir David's "legacy will forever live on in Southend-on-Sea".

He added: "I cannot thank Her Majesty the Queen and the prime minister enough for granting that legacy, but what truly breaks my heart is that he is not around to see it.

"I am sure he will be looking down on us now saying, 'My work in Southend is now complete'."

'The city of Southend'

*  With a population of 182,800, Southend-on-Sea is famous for events like Southend Carnival, the Estuary Festival and Southend Shakedown

*  Extending 1.33 miles (1.6km) into the Thames Estuary, Southend Pier is the longest pleasure pier in the world - TV viewers might recognise it as the venue for Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast

*  Formed in 1906, Southend United FC currently plays in the National League but was once managed by England World Cup winner Bobby Moore

*  Southend Airport opened as a civil airport in 1935 and offers flights across Europe

*  Leigh-on-Sea, where Sir David was killed, is a district of Southend with its own town council

Labour councillor for Kursaal ward in Southend, Matt Dent, said: "Everyone who knew Sir David knew how passionate he was about Southend getting city status.

"It was something he worked into every conversation. It's such a shame he is not here to see it."

The Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, who grew up in Southend and was a friend of Sir David's, said with Southend having been declared a city people can "forget about a statue of Vera Lynn at Dover, we are going to put a statue of David Amess at the end of Southend pier".

Chelmsford MP Vicky Ford and Southend United FC both tweeted that it was a "fitting" tribute to Sir David.



Downing Street said the award of city status to Southend was a "very rare honour".

"This was an exceptional circumstance," the prime minister's official spokesman said.

"It is a very rare honour which Sir David campaigned passionately for.

"He was a tireless champion of Southend, celebrating its achievements, the work of its residents and its thriving local businesses and diversity."

Ch Supt Simon Anslow signed the Book of Condolence along with colleagues including Chief Constable BJ Harrington and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst

Speaking after signing a Book of Condolence at Southend's Civic Centre, Essex Police Ch Supt Simon Anslow said: "Having long been a champion for Southend, it is of course truly tragic that his main goal in Parliament has been achieved in the days following his sad death, with confirmation today that Southend will be afforded city status by Her Majesty The Queen.

"Today has been a mark of respect for the man - indeed it has been a mark of respect for what will be Essex's new city."

In a 2019 speech to the Commons calling on Southend to be given city status, Sir David celebrated the town for everything from its hospital and airport to its investment in digital infrastructure.

He also praised Leigh-on-Sea for being voted the "happiest place in the United Kingdom" and said people in Southend "walk on water" while on its famous pier.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×