Southend Given City Status In Honour Of David Amess, Announces Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has announced that the Queen has agreed Southend will be granted city status following the murder of Conservative MP David Amess.

Amess, who had been the MP for Southend West, had led a long-running campaign for the Southend’s bid to become a city.

Speaking in the Commons on Monday afternoon, Johnson expressed his “shock and sadness” at the death of Amess.

Watch: Minute of silence in Westminster for David Amess

“Sir David was a patriot who believed passionately in this country, in its people and in its future,” the prime minister said.

“He was also one of the nicest, kindest and most gentle individuals ever to grace these benches.”

Amess was famous in Westminster for frequently including a bid for Southend to be made a city in Commons questions that, at first, seemed unrelated.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.