Home Secretary Priti Patel today issued a defiant message as Members of Parliament vowed to carry on holding face-to-face public meetings following Sir David Amess' murder.
Tobias Ellwood urged MPs to end surgeries but Speaker Lindsay Hoyle held his last night amid widespread debate over MPs' security and how to better protect parliamentarians.
Robert Largan, the Conservative MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, said he would still hold his surgery from 10.30am this morning while a number of other councillors took to social media to express their defiance.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Harriet Harman, who was sworn in to the House of Commons on the same day as Sir David in the 1980s, said she would be writing to the Prime Minister to ask for a Speaker's Conference to find a solution.
Asked whether there could be a balance between the safety of MPs and the democratic process, Ms Patel today said: 'It can be balanced, it can absolutely be balanced.'
Tobias Ellwood (pictured) urged MPs to end surgeries but Speaker Lindsay Hoyle held his last night amid widespread debate over MPs' security and how to better protect parliamentarians
Asked whether there could be a balance between the safety of MPs and the democratic process, Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured) today said: 'It can be balanced, it can absolutely be balanced'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer, left, followed by Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Lindsey Hoyle, carry flowers as they arrive at the scene where Sir David Amess was killed
On whether surgeries should be allowed to continue, she added: 'We will carry on, we live in an open society, a democracy. We cannot be cowed by any individual or any motivation... to stop us from functioning, to serve our elected a democracy.'
Police are expected to contact 650 MPs today as Ms Patel ordered an immediate review of security arrangements.
Tory MP Mr Ellwood suggested it was time for public and well-advertised constituency surgeries to come to an end.
He told BBC's Radio 4: 'I would recommend that no MP has direct surgery - you can move to Zoom, there are other ways, you can achieve an awful lot over the telephone, you can get things moving far faster than having to wait for a surgery date.'
According to the Times, Whitehall officials have had concerns about a possible lone-wolf attack by people who have become radicalised during lockdown.
Horrified constituents waiting to see Sir David (pictured), who has campaigned to help refugees, watched in horror as the assailant leapt on him just after midday
But others are not convinced ending surgeries is the solution to protecting MPs.
Labour MP and speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay told BBC Two's Newsnight the terrorists 'will not win'.
The MP for Chorley, stressed the importance of face-to-face surgeries and warned against a knee-jerk reaction following Sir David's death.
He said: 'Those people who do not share our values or share democracy, they will not win and we won't let them win.
'We will continue to look at security, that is ongoing and it will continue.'
A Briton of Somali descent, 25, was yesterday arrested following the brutal stabbing of the veteran MP.
Horrified constituents waiting to see Sir David, who has campaigned to help refugees, watched in horror as the assailant leapt on him just after midday.
The knifeman waited calmly in line after booking in at the constituency surgery before launching the fatal attack, according to witnesses.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle spoke to Boris Johnson and Ms Patel following the fatal stabbing of the 69-year-old MP in his Southend West constituency.
Sir David is the second MP to be killed
