‘My car was smashed up, someone tried to get into my house’: MP speaks out in wake of colleague’s killing
Instances of abuse reported to the police by politicians are not always followed up by forces, an MP has told Sky News, as he recalled having his car vandalised and office subject to an arson attack.
Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, said there are “a lot more nasty people around than ever before”.
Killing of MP described as ‘attack on our democracy’ – follow live updates
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Priti Patel: ‘We need to close any security gaps’
Southend West MP Sir David Amess was killed in an attack on Friday which saw him stabbed multiple times as he carried out a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea.
Sky News understands that the terror suspect arrested following the killing of Sir David is the son of a former senior Somali government official – and that he made an appointment to see the MP via his constituency office.
Mr Rosindell, whose constituency is close to Southend West, described the attack as “pure evil”.
Speaking in Leigh-on-Sea alongside Labour MP Wes Streeting, whose Ilford North constituency borders his, he said there would probably have to be some changes to MPs’ security arrangements, but added: “We cannot allow that to undermine the democratic traditions of this country.”
Speaking about his own experiences during 20 years as an MP, Mr Rosindell told Trevor Phillips on Sunday: “They are willing to say and do things in a way that I would never have thought possible in this country. And we all have to be really aware and keep our wits about us.
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Should more be done to protect MPs?
“The abuse we get on social media, by emails, I mean we get it all the time. But we brush it off because we’ve got a job to do. And we tell the police, the police have got other things to do, it’s not always followed up.
“And I think probably this has all got to change, we have got to take this a bit more seriously in future.
“My office was arsoned, my car was smashed up, someone tried to get into my house and injure me – managed to stop them.
“All these things have happened over the years, but you take it in your stride because our priority is to get on with our job, and we do tend to not think much about our own security, I’m afraid. But I’m thinking now maybe we should do a bit more.”
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‘He fought for us’ : Locals mourns loss of MP
Asked about potential further security measures, Mr Rosindell said: “Certainly our constituency surgeries, there’s going to have to be some new arrangements for those.
“But we can’t let evil destroy democracy. This was pure evil what happened here. We cannot allow that to undermine the democratic traditions of this country.
“So whatever happens, Wes, myself and all Members of Parliament, we’re going to be out there serving our constituents, we’re not going to let this defeat us, we will still be there and doing the job we were elected to do.”
Mr Rosindell described Sir David as a “wonderful person, a really genuine friend”.
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Sir David Amess: A life in politics
“We’re going to miss him. He was a fantastic MP and a great friend and to lose him in such tragic circumstances is very difficult for us to accept and understand,” he said.
“It’s a very sad moment for all of us.”
This was echoed by Mr Streeting, who said he was “one of those great characters in Parliament”.
“Everyone knew him because you couldn’t not know him,” he told Sky News.
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Leaders unite to pay tribute to Sir David
“He was renowned for the causes he took up, a terrific sense of humour and also being the most outstanding champion for his constituency.”
Mr Streeting added: “He was loved right across the political spectrum and you’ve heard that in recent days from some of my Labour colleagues, who absolutely loved David.”
He said he did not want to “rush to snap judgements” but acknowledged that “something has got to change”.
The pair both called for greater respect in political discourse, emphasising that politicians from different parties can disagree on issues but still treat each other with civility.
“We all have a responsibility to show respect for each other, to show kindness, despite our political differences,” Mr Rosindell said.
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Leaders unite to pay tribute to Sir David
“Wes and I are probably examples of that, we’re neighbouring seats, we’ve never had a bad word to say about each other, in fact quite the opposite.
“But we have different views on issues, we always will, because we’re different parties, but it doesn’t stop us being friends and colleagues, it doesn’t stop us working together on issues.”
Mr Streeting said the “argy bargy of debate” is part of politics, but it should not take the killing of an MP to remind people of the fact that politicians have more in common than what divides them.
“When I look across the Commons chamber to Conservative MPs, I don’t see a bunch of people who are evil, I see people who, like me, are motivated by a commitment to public service and wanting to make our country a better place, we just differ on how to do that,” he said.
“That’s what politics is all about and I think we can make that point more often, without losing robust debate.”
The UK and India have struck an “ambitious” trade deal that will slash tariffs on products such as whisky and gin.
The agreement will also see Indian tariffs cut on cosmetics and medical devices and will deliver a £4.8bn boost to the UK economy, according to the government.
It is also expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5bn, UK GDP by £4.8bn and wages by £2.2bn each year in the long term.
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The news will be a welcome boost for the government following poor local election results, which saw Labour lose the Runcorn by-election and control of Doncaster Council to a resurgent Reform UK.
What will also be touted as a victory for Downing Street is the fact the government managed to strike a deal with India before the White House.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sir Keir Starmer hailed the “historic day for the United Kingdom and for India”.
“This is the biggest trade deal that we, the UK, have done since we left the EU,” the prime minister said.
What trade-offs are in the ‘historic’ deal with India?
This is the most significant trade deal Britain has negotiated since Brexit. It has been three years in the making with round the clock negotiations taking place in recent days.
Britain and India were coming from very different starting points. India’s economy is notoriously protectionist, with average tariff rates floating at around 130%. The UK, by comparison, is a very open economy. Our tariff rates hover around 5%. It means there were many prizes on offer for UK exporters, who are eyeing up a rapidly growing economy with increasingly powerful consumers.
The government will point to considerable concessions on 90% of tariff lines, 85% of them will go down to zero within the decade. It includes wins on whisky, which within ten years will be halved from the current 150%. No other country has managed to get India to move on that.
Of course there are trade-offs involved. The UK has agreed to lower tariffs on Indian textiles and apparel- a big employer in India. It will also make it easier for Indian professionals to come to the UK, something the Indians have been pushing hard on. However, there will be no formal changes to immigration policy.
Both countries have also refused to budge on certain industries. The UK has not lowered tariffs on milled rice, out of fear it could decimate native industries. The same applies to dairy for the Indians. Both sides have agreed quotas on cars for the same reason.
The Indians were pushing for an exemption for its high emission industries from the UK’s upcoming carbon tax. It is understood that will not happen.
“And it’s the most ambitious trade deal that India has ever done. And this will be measured in billions of pounds into our economy and jobs across the whole of the United Kingdom.
“So it is a really important, significant day. “
In a post on X, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also welcomed the agreement as a “historic milestone” and added: “I look forward to welcoming PM Starmer to India soon.”
Negotiations for the deal relaunched in March after stalling under the Tory government over issues including trade standards and the relaxation of visa rules for Indian workers.
Overall, 90% of tariff lines will be reduced under the deal, with 85% of those becoming fully tariff-free within a decade.
Whisky and gin tariffs will be halved from 150% to 75% before falling to 40% by year ten of the deal, while automotive tariffs will go from more than 100% to 10% under a quota, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said.
For Indian consumers, there will be reduced tariffs on cosmetics, aerospace, lamb, medical devices, salmon, electrical machinery, soft drinks, chocolate and biscuits.
Meanwhile, British shoppers could see cheaper prices and more choice on products including clothes, footwear, and food products including frozen prawns as the UK liberalises tariffs.
India’s trade ministry said that under the deal, 99% of Indian exports will benefit from zero duty, Britain will remove a tariff on textile imports and Indian employees working in the UK will be exempt from social security payments for three years.
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Shadow trade secretary Andrew Griffith added: “It’s good to see the government recognise that reducing cost and burdens on businesses in international trade is a good thing, and that thanks to Brexit we can do.
“But it would be even better if they would apply the same reasoning to our domestic economy, where they remain intent on raising taxes, energy costs and regulatory burdens.”
The news was also welcomed by business group the British Chamber of Commerce, which said it was a “welcome lift for our exporters”.
William Bain, head of trade policy, said: ”Against the backdrop of mounting trade uncertainty across the globe, these tariff reductions will be a big relief. Products from Scotch whisky to clothing will benefit and this will give UK companies exporting to India a clear edge on increasing sales.
“The proposals for a follow-up investment treaty will also provide a solid platform to grow manufacturing and other sectors in our two economies.”
Representative Maxine Waters, ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee (HFSC), led Democratic lawmakers out of a joint hearing on digital assets in response to what she called “the corruption of the President of the United States” concerning cryptocurrencies.
In a May 6 joint hearing of the HFSC and House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Waters remained standing while addressing Republican leadership, saying she intended to block proceedings due to Donald Trump’s corruption, “ownership of crypto,” and oversight of government agencies. Digital asset subcommittee chair Bryan Steil, seemingly taking advantage of a loophole in committee rules, said Republican lawmakers would continue with the event as a “roundtable” rather than a hearing.
HFSC Chair French Hill urged lawmakers at the hearing to create a “lasting framework” on digital assets, but did not directly address any of Rep. Waters’ and Democrats’ concerns about Trump’s involvement with the crypto industry. He claimed Waters was making the hearing a partisan issue and shutting down discussion on a digital asset regulatory framework.
This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.
Veteran US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official Trish Turner was appointed to lead the agency’s digital assets division following the departure of two key crypto-focused executives.
Turner, who has spent over 20 years at the IRS and most recently served as a senior adviser within the Digital Assets Office, will now head the unit, according to a report from Bloomberg Tax citing a person familiar with the situation.
Her promotion marks a significant leadership transition at a time when US crypto tax enforcement is facing both internal and external pressures.
On May 5, Sulolit “Raj” Mukherjee and Seth Wilks, two private-sector experts brought in to lead the IRS’s crypto unit, exited after roughly a year in their roles.
Mukherjee served as compliance and implementation executive director, while Wilks oversaw strategy and development. Wilks announced his departure on LinkedIn, while Mukherjee confirmed his decision in a statement to Bloomberg Tax.
“The reality is that federal employees have faced a very difficult environment over the past few months,” Wilks wrote. “If stepping aside helps preserve someone else’s job, then I am at peace with the decision.”
Related: Coinbase files brief with US Supreme Court in support of taxpayers’ privacy
IRS ramps up crypto scrutiny
The IRS has ramped up its focus on cryptocurrency in recent years, increasing audits and criminal probes targeting digital asset transactions.
It also attempted to introduce broad crypto broker reporting requirements, which drew sharp criticism from industry stakeholders and was eventually overturned by President Donald Trump.
Set to take effect in 2027, the so-called IRS DeFi broker rule would have expanded the tax authority’s existing reporting requirements to include DeFi platforms, requiring them to disclose gross proceeds from crypto sales, including information regarding taxpayers involved in the transactions.
Related: NFT trader faces prison for $13M tax fraud on CryptoPunk profits
Turner’s leadership also comes during a shift in Washington’s approach to crypto regulation.
With the return of the Trump administration in January, federal agencies have scaled back regulations perceived as burdensome to digital asset innovation.
For instance, the Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped or paused over a dozen enforcement cases against crypto companies. Additionally, the Department of Justice has announced the dissolution of its cryptocurrency enforcement unit, signaling a softer approach to the sector.
Internally, the IRS is also navigating instability. Over 23,000 employees have reportedly expressed interest in resigning after Trump reintroduced a deferred resignation policy, raising concerns about long-term staffing and morale within the agency.
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