The British flag rightly flies at half-mast today in Parliament to commemorate the injured and the dead – as well as their poor friends and family – after yesterday’s senseless, depraved violence. Our thoughts are with them, particularly PC Keith Palmer who was killed trying to protect innocent people, and British democracy more widely.
If anything good can come from such a horrific event, it is in the incredible response from the police, parliamentary staff, paramedics, emergency services, and ordinary civilians who tried to help.
There was only one man attempting acts of evil yesterday; there were many attempting to do good.
As an MP caught up in yesterday’s events, I want to offer my personal thanks to all of those who helped keep us safe. As the Prime Minister said just a few hours ago, ‘We will never waver in the face of terrorism’. Terrorism may seek to divide and disturb, but it only proved last night the strength of togetherness within Westminster, London, and the UK.