The daughter of murdered MP Sir David Amess has described the killing of his close friend Ann Widdecombe as a "sick dream," stating that security for politicians has not improved since her father's death.

Katie Amess said that Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister, had provided comfort to her family after Sir David was stabbed to death in 2021. "To see what has happened to her is just like I’m living in a sick, sick dream," Amess told The Times.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Devon last Thursday. Counter-terrorism police are investigating her death as a "targeted attack," which has renewed concerns about the safety of Members of Parliament.

Sir David Amess, the MP for Southend West, was killed in October 2021 at a constituency surgery by Ali Harbi Ali, an Islamic State sympathizer who was sentenced to a whole-life order for the murder. Ali had previously been referred to the anti-radicalization scheme Prevent but his case was closed in 2016.

Katie Amess has been advocating for a public inquiry into her father's murder, arguing that the government's reviews have been insufficient. "I’ve consistently been saying we aren’t safe, nothing has changed," she stated. "The Government comes out and says 'no, no, no, we’ve successfully overhauled the system, we’ve done reviews'. They say the family should be happy with all their answers, and it’s just complete and utter nonsense."

The government rejected calls for a public inquiry last year. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has appointed former Tory justice secretary Robert Buckland to conduct an independent review into the circumstances surrounding Sir David’s death. However, Katie Amess maintains that only a statutory public inquiry, with the legal power to compel witnesses, would uncover the full truth.

"I don’t understand why they don’t want these answers to come out," she said. "We’re sitting here less than five years later. The Government doesn’t understand the heartbreak and trauma that we are living with every single day."

In response to the concerns, Reform UK has proposed providing round-the-clock protection for all 650 MPs and former politicians active in public life, an initiative estimated to cost up to £100 million. Additionally, Andy Burnham, who is set to become the prime minister, has called for a "serious review" of MPs' security.