Tory MP Calls For ‘David’s Law’ To Crackdown On Trolls After Amess Killing

A friend of Sir David Amess has called for the creation of a “David’s Law” in his honour, to crackdown anonymous abuse by online trolls. 

Mark Francois said Amess had become “increasingly concerned” about the “toxic environment” in which MPs had to operate.

The Tory MP for Rayleigh and Wickford said Amess was “appalled” by misogynistic abuse women MPs endured online and wanted “something done about it”.

Francois went on to say he was minded to drag Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Jack Dorsey of Twitter to the bar of the House: “If necessary kicking and screaming so they can look us all in the eye and account for their actions or rather their inactions that make them even richer than they already are.” 

He said: “If the social media companies don’t want to help us drain the Twitter swamp, then let’s compel them to do it by law because they’ve had more than enough chances to do it voluntarily.”

He told the Commons that politicians were “systematically vilified, day after day”, adding: “I simply say to you ladies and gentlemen that enough is enough.”

Francois said if they want to ensure their colleague did not die in vain, they should take the forthcoming Online Harms Bill and toughen it up “markedly”.

“Let’s put – if I may be so presumptuous – David’s Law onto the statute book,” he added.

Francois was among a number of MPs across the House of Commons who paid tribute to Amess on Monday afternoon.

Prime minister Boris Johnson opened the tributes to Amess, saying: “This House has lost a steadfast servant, we’ve lost a dear friend and colleague, and Julia and her children have lost a loving husband and devoted father.

“Nothing I or anyone else can say can lessen the pain, the grief, the anger they must feel at this darkest of times.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to lean across and acknowledge the pain felt on the Tory benches, saying her remembered how “acutely” Jo Cox’s loss was felt on his benches.

He added: “We are united in our grief, at this terrible time. We are thinking of David and his family. Of course our differences matter, after all that’s what democracy is about, but today we’re reminded that what we have in common, matters far more.”

Home secretary Priti Patel said it was “agonising” to know they would not see Amess’s “wonderful” smile again.

“Decency ran through him like the writing in a stick of Southend rock. David represented all that was good about this place,” she said.

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