Sir David Amess: Southend city status feels inevitable, says Raab

The deputy prime minister has said the success of Sir David Amess' long-running campaign to make Southend a city of "feels inevitable".

Dominic Raab said granting the Essex town city status would be a "fitting tribute" after the death of the MP.

Sir David, Conservative MP for Southend West, regularly raised the matter in Parliament and was often seen sporting "Make Southend a city" merchandise.

Mr Raab said: "It feels like a certain inevitability about this campaign."

Southend is one of several towns competing for city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

Sir David's family called for people to support the campaign after he fatally stabbed at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea on Friday.

Speaking to LBC radio, Mr Raab, who is also justice secretary, said: "Let me respect the mechanism for deciding it but say that I think it will be a very fitting tribute if it should come to pass."

In December 2019, Sir David secured an adjournment debate in the Commons specifically on the campaign and told MPs: "I am not messing around."

Last week, he told BBC Essex that his plan was "to wear them down until they say yes".

"I've spent all my time mentioning it at every conceivable opportunity," he told presenter Sonia Watson.

"If they're sick to death of hearing all the reasons why Southend should become a city then they should grant it to us; it's a no-brainer, the benefits are enormous."

Home Secretary Priti Patel has already backed awarding city status to the seaside town as a "wonderful tribute" to the MP's 38 years of service, which included representing Southend West since 1997.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: "We will be looking at ways to pay tribute to Sir David and obviously this was something he was very passionate about and we recognise that.

"There is a formal process for this as it is a rare civic honour and there is a live competition to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next year so I'm not going to get ahead of that."

Applications close on 8 December.

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