Political violence.

The murder of the English politician David Amess has made all sorts of news headlines but the media discussion, above and below the line veers from sanctifying him to justifying his murder. In the midst of the vilification and hagiography there’s a real man with a real life who has been obscured.

Firstly, I didn’t think he was particularly impressive or unusual as an MP. His entire career was built on turning up for the opening of a crisp packet in the constituency he represented. He regularly touted his allegiance to Basildon and made a point of being highly visible there. His love for this part of Essex lasted until he looked likely to lose his seat at which time, he jumped ship sharpish to Southend. In his new role he made a parliamentary speech touting cityhood status for his new home and stuck to his regular routine of being ever present in the local press. He isn't the only MP like this and they are spread across all parties.

His policy was guided by a backward looking, tory view of empire and his religion. He supported a programme of insulation and better heating for homes but he only came to that late when one if his constituents froze to death. Until 2000 the issue hadn’t crossed his mind because someone in his income bracket had no appreciation of the reality of ‘fuel poverty’ or of poverty full stop. Lots of people have died in British winters for a long, long time and Amess didn’t notice or care until it was a high-profile victim on his own doorstep. He was not alone in this and again this lack of awareness is not confined to any one party.

He is often credited for staying a constituency MP rather than pursuing a ministerial career. In truth he worked as a PPS to both Edwina Currie and Michael Portillo and did that job so well that he received no more offers and returned to the backbenches. His talents took him as far as they were able and ‘Constituency MP’ was his level.

So, what did I think of him? 

Another adequate politician who did enough locally to keep his seat. I thought so last year and I think so today. A man of some talent who did all right for himself and would have been happy seeing out his days as a mainly party-line tory making life easier for those who had plenty and making it harder for those who had less. Our politics are very different and we could possibly have debated the ins and outs of it for hours. Were I a tory voter I would regard him as a good geezer and would mostly be in agreement with his voting record. I would see him as a man of some talent who did all right for himself as a mainly party-line tory making life easier for those prepared to work harder and making it more difficult to be an idle scrounger. 

So, did he deserve to be murdered? Of course he fucking didn’t! The fact that I see this written anywhere on social media is a real ‘head in hands’ moment for the species. If anyone thinks this way then they are guilty of the same short-sighted stupidity as the ‘hard of thinking’ murderer. 

People will disagree about things. People will have different ideas of what the problems are and will have really different ideas about what the solutions to those problems may be. In the good old days, the various groups would fight to the death and use physical and military force to promote their particular viewpoint. If ‘Victory’ equalled killing untold numbers of people and wiping out entire nations then so be it.

Parliaments around the world are the means to avoid genocide every time there is a significant change to the zeitgeist. The old guard can argue the case for stability and experience while the young Turks can promote a radical, exciting new way forward. The messy, boring, infuriating and drawn out horse-trading that are part and parcel of this process is the relatively small price we pay for not having to step over a mound of rotting, dismembered corpses every time there is a change of government.

As part of this we require our representatives to do things better than we would. I, in an argument down the pub, can call the tories, ‘scum’. I would much rather the deputy leader of the official opposition party didn’t. I and my friends can dream of taking absolute power and ruling by decree and force of arms. It would be good if the prime minister didn’t attempt any such thing. My friend  might want all drug dealers jailed for life but it would be good for the justice secretary to take a more nuanced view than that of a drunk in a highland bar. When Nigel Farage speaks of sending all the foreigners home, he is lifting up a stone under which all sorts of nasties are hiding. Beware the people who point to a handy scapegoat and blame them for all your hassles. 

I was in favour of the more proportional voting system in Scotland for the Holyrood parliament. In Westminster elections the 25% of tory voters in Scotland get heehaw for their votes. It is unfair and rightly causes resentment. Do I want the tories in power? Not at all but they should be fairly represented for all our sakes as single party rule is corrosive and prone to all manner of shithousery. See Robert Jenrick’s unpunished corruption for example.

The other reason we shouldn’t be murdering our politicians is pure self-interest. More security will make access more difficult and they will become more distant from their constituents. If the state decided to mobilise arms against those deemed guilty of anti-democratic behaviour, then we step closer to a police state. Having been behind the iron curtain before the fall of the Berlin wall I can firmly say that that isn’t something I would welcome.

And back finally to David Amess. A human like us all who was full of grey areas. A tory who tried to stop people freezing to death in their homes. A Thatcherite and apologist for empire who was supported and liked by a majority of his constituents across a range of religions and ethnicities.  An anti-abortionist who promoted endometriosis research and treatment. A man who turned up for work and did his job. I’m sorry for him, sorry for his family and I’m sorry for all of us.

There is a scene at the end of the film ‘The General’ when the old police officer tells his celebrating subordinate that the shooting of their gangland suspect by the IRA was no victory for them. The killing of any MP from any party is no victory for us. Any of us. It drags us back towards the old political trope of ‘Might is right’.

For those of us who are a bit short of Might that is a pretty worrying direction of travel.