He built this city
THE City of Southend. What a fine ring that new title has. What a poignant legacy for the wonderful MP it has lost.
If it stands for 1,000 years Southend will always owe its status to Sir David Amess, robbed of his life before his long campaign could finally bear fruit.
Yesterday’s Commons tributes to this remarkable Tory, so popular on all sides, were intensely moving.
It said everything that he was remembered as fondly by Labour MPs as Conservatives.
But they were united too by their common suffering as prime targets both for extremism and abuse.
Amid the humour of Mark Francois’ brilliant speech about his old friend, he voiced MPs’ rage over the social media giants which spread these two separate evils.
It is both staggering and shameful that, as we reveal today, the likes of Telegram and LinkedIn still host rants by Anjem Choudary, the vile “preacher” said to have inspired at least 18 terrorists and allegedly Sir David’s killer.
Even despite strict surveillance after his jail term, Choudary “remains a dangerous and influential figure”, a report concludes.
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So why is there no blanket social media ban on this creature, his wicked sermons and his self-justifying TV interviews . . . still on YouTube?
And why do Twitter and other social media giants do so little to stop trolls abusing, libelling or threatening to kill MPs?
Because it would threaten their multi-billion-dollar business model.
So our MPs endure daily stress and fear online.
As for poor Sir David, Islamist poison spread via social media may have cost him his life.
The tech giants hide behind the benefits they bring to our connected world.
Will they ever take responsibility for the grotesque harm?
Let’s boost jabs
BRITAIN must rediscover its world-beating zeal over jabs before our freedoms are threatened this Christmas.
The booster take-up is far too slow.
The Covid booster programme is moving far too slowly in the run up to winter[/caption]
Only about half of eligible over-85s have had theirs.
No wonder infections are climbing again.
Complacency appears to have set in just as restrictions have been removed and the vaccines’ protection is slowly beginning to wear off.
Meanwhile only a small minority of teenagers have had even their first jab.
“Living with Covid” doesn’t mean ignoring it as a threat.
Guard against it.
Get the jab. And, when invited, a booster.
Toon ill
WHAT a team effort at St James’ Park.
From the players who stopped the game when a Geordie fan had a cardiac arrest.
A Newcastle Utd fan is stretchered away from the stands by paramedics[/caption]
To the St John Ambulance, the Newcastle Utd doctor and the medics who left their seats to save the man’s life.
And the crowd who gave them all a huge ovation.
Footie fans at their best.
Howay the docs!
