THURROCK MP Jackie Doyle-Price, a close friend and colleague of murdered Conservative colleague Sir David Amess, has shared her memories of the highly-respected Southend West MP.

Sir David was stabbed to death while hosting meetings with constituents in Leigh-on-Sea last week and his murder has prompted many tributes to his work, personality and achievements.

In the immediate hours following his death East Thurrock MP Stephen Metcalfe and former Thurrock Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay shared their memories but few knew him as well in recent years as Ms Doyle-Price who succeeded Mr Mackinlay in 2010, which is where her tribute begins.

She writes:

"Who is this Price – Doyle woman and what am I doing here" so said Sir David Amess on a campaign visit to Thurrock before the 2010 General election. He didn't think I had a cat in hell's chance but dutifully he came, megaphone in hand.

And there marked the beginning of our friendship. I am so going to be miss the generous and thoughtful man who was such a good friend to me. I will miss his support. I will miss our gossips.

In the thirty eight years that he was a Member of the House of Commons he enjoyed the ringside seat he had to observe some seven Prime Ministers. For him no one matched the first he witnessed

David adored Margaret Thatcher. In many ways he was the poster boy for 'Essex man' and the politics that inspired those who wanted to get on in life, and who were not afraid of hard work.

These were the people who won elections for the Conservatives in the 1980s, in rather the same way that the blue wall did in 2019.

When he won Basildon from Labour in 1983 the Conservatives did not have a single councillor. But David led his band of followers from the front. And in 1992 the beaming face of a victorious David was the iconic image of the Conservatives fourth consecutive election victory despite having been written off by Party HQ.

Less well known is that at the local elections weeks later the Conservatives won every seat. An amazing campaign led by an amazing campaigner.

David had a wicked sense of humour. Indeed he could be quite naughty. On one overseas visit he had British embassy officials in a state of panic as he persuaded them that he was going to take two terrapins back home.

As they tried to suggest this was not possible he gently asked why they couldn't be transported by diplomatic bag.

Alongside the charm and humour was a serious politician. He used his charm to disarm those who needed to hear tough messages.

He had huge respect for Parliament and considered it a privilege to be a Member of Parliament. It was of profound disappointment to him that the respect in which Parliament is held has declined so much.

He really didn't like that the House of Commons had been diminished. It was something that had started under Tony Blair but steadily progressed under successive Governments. Governments should welcome Parliamentary scrutiny. There was too much effort to bypass it. As Parliamentarians we should all hold that view.

David brought passion and dedication to the causes he championed. He often campaigned on issues before they became fashionable.

Fire safety and energy conservation for example. Once David gripped an issue he would run with it with just the same energy and commitment as he did on behalf of his constituents. The tributes paid to him from Southend illustrate the genuine affection and respect in which he was held.

As he said in his book. "The overall majority of MPs do excellent work on behalf of their constituents but often pay a terrible price."

David has paid the most terrible price of all,

That his wish for Southend to become a City is now being realised is such a tribute to him. I wish we could all celebrate that with him. It would have been an occasion of great joy.

Ms Doyle-Price, who spent much of last week in the company of Sir David on a parliamentary visit, also paid tribute to her friend in the House of Commons on Monday.

She said:

I think the whole House will be left in no doubt of the genuine affection in which Sir David's constituents held him just by watching the TV footage this weekend.

As a friend of his, I am hugely comforted by the genuine affection that has been shown today, in response, by hon. Members. For me, David was a great friend as well as great parliamentarian.

Last week, Sir David led a delegation of the Qatar all-party group on a visit to Qatar, and he led it with his characteristic good humour, dare I say great fun, and inclusivity. During the visit, we had the benefit of an audience with His Highness the Emir.

As the meeting came to a close David, with a great flourish, referred to the need to present a gift, and with his characteristic self-deprecation, he said, "What could I give the man who has everything? Here is an inscribed copy of my book!" That was David.

I suggest that those hon. Members who have not yet read Sir David's book go out and get a copy, because the proceeds go to some of the charities that he championed.

Could I also say that, in actual fact, if they read the book it is the authentic voice of David, with his pen portraits, some of which are humorous and some of which are quite barbed?

It is actually a great insight into Parliament from somebody who, as we have heard today, spent all of his career on the Back Benches, but he loved this place. He genuinely thought it was a privilege to be a Member of Parliament.

He loved his work on the Panel of Chairs, he was proud of the legislation he had secured, there were the end-of-term Adjournment debates—they will never ever be the same again, will they?—and he may yet have become the Father of the House.

I believe there is a serious point here. In the 38 years Sir David served as a Member of Parliament, one of the things he lamented was the decline in the respect for this institution and for the Members within it.

The reason he lamented it was that he felt our constituents were the poorer for it, because as that respect declined we just became inconveniences to be managed by public authorities, rather than the genuine voice of challenge. I think that if we do anything to remember him, that is something he would wish us to work collectively to address, as that is what makes this place worthwhile.

In reflecting on Sir David's memory, we must not remember the way in which his life was taken, but remember how he lived. His beaming face in 1992, when his victory marked a fourth election victory for the Conservatives, is of course iconic.

However, I should say to the House that his biggest pride was not actually that result, but the one in 1983, when he won Basildon for the first time—a victory as much against the odds as the one in 1992. I would say that he held Basildon as a marginal seat for all that time because he was an amazing campaigner.

He had time for everyone, as we have heard, and his megaphone was never too far away. I have to say that we enjoyed some visits by David and his megaphone in Thurrock over the years, and it was always great fun.

As an Eastender, Sir David instinctively represented the politics of south Essex. He would describe himself as a working-class Conservative, and he very much epitomised the kind of person who embraced the politics of Margaret Thatcher.

He would recount with great pride the occasion when, after everyone had written off his election prospects in 1992, it was Margaret Thatcher who came on the eve of the poll to support him, and he credited part of his victory to that.

Our thoughts are obviously now with Sir David's family. Just as a final note, the last time I went to David's house he was proudly showing me his wedding video. The reason he was doing so was not just to show me my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Miss Dines) and her dancing back in those days in 1983—he was hugely proud that she got here too—but that the exact wedding he had to Julia in 1983 at Westminster cathedral and then a reception here was what he repeated for his daughter only a few weeks ago. I hope the whole family receives some comfort from the fact that we all loved him.