Sir David Amess life-size statue is unveiled in moving ceremony at Southend
A life-size statue created in the memory of a long-serving Catholic Conservative MP who was murdered almost three years ago has been unveiled.
Sir David Amess served as a Southend West MP when he was fatally stabbed in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in October 2021.
“He may not admit it, but I’m sure he would have been flattered there is a statue in his memory,” said his former constituency assistant Julie Cushion.
It was unveiled near the Chalkwell Lifeguards’ base in Southend.
His widow Lady Julia Amess said: “He is missed every day – but his light remains.”
Ms Cushion, who attended the unveiling, said Sir David “was one of life’s characters, he was an amazing member of parliament, he worked so hard for his constituency”.
“He loved people, he loved community – especially getting involved in charity and things like that,” she said.
The statue’s location was important to Sir David because he walked his dogs there and he had a close relationship with the lifeguard station, she added.
She was pleased there is now somewhere in the constituency where friends can “acknowledge him and pay our respects”.
Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe was also at the unveiling and said “It’s a very, very good statue, I was quite moved when I saw it unveiled.”
“He was a terrific chap, always enthusiastic, always late for everything because he’d spent so much time talking to everybody at the previous do, and was known in Westminster as the man with the perpetual grin,” she added.
The statue was designed and cast in bronze by sculptor Andrew Lilley, who said he felt compelled to create the artwork to honour the Southend West politician who was “so loved and admired”.