Sir Keir Starmer said “we must do more to defend our democracy” following the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
The outgoing Prime Minister said it was “chilling” that three sitting or former MPs had been murdered during his 11 years in Parliament.
Sir Keir’s comments at his final Prime Minister’s Questions came as Reform UK demanded extra cash for MPs’ security following the death of Miss Widdecombe.
The former Tory minister was a senior figure in Reform at the time of her death.
The Prime Minister said: “I believe we must do more to defend our democracy.
“I have tasked officials across government to identify the best mechanisms for taking this work forward, so it can move as quickly as possible.
“And I hope the whole House can unite behind that in the months ahead.”
Sir Keir suggested Miss Widdecombe, who served as an MP for 23 years until 2010, could be honoured with a plaque in the Commons Chamber in a similar way to murdered sitting MPs including Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.
The Prime Minister said: “It is chilling that during my time in this Parliament, 11 years, three serving or former MPs have been murdered.
“I look across at the shield for our dear friend Jo Cox and the shield for Sir David Amess that sits behind me.
“I know this is a House matter, so this is my personal view, but I do believe it’d be fitting for the House to consider a similar tribute to Ann.”
The Prime Minister’s comments came after Reform stepped up demands for greater security for MPs following a row over party leader Nigel Farage’s protection.
Incoming prime minister Andy Burnham has also said a “serious review” is needed into MPs’ security.
Reform on Wednesday called for the budget for additional security for MPs to be raised from around £4 million to up to £100 million to provide full security for all who want it.
In a press conference, the party’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf appeared to accuse politicians and the media of creating a narrative tantamount to “incitement” against Reform.
He said the “climate in which she (Miss Widdecombe) was killed” had been one of “a relentless narrative from politicians and the media that Reform UK is a threat, a threat to be urgently stopped”.
He added: “A narrative so relentless it constitutes incitement. And why are we targeted like this? Because we say things that are unfashionable among many in Westminster, but are popular in the country at large.”
Mr Yusuf cited Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy calling Miss Widdecombe a “bigot”, which he did on social media in 2019, and saying “we must stand up to them (bigots) before it’s too late”.
But he was quizzed on his own use of language about political rivals in a media Q&A afterwards, including his claim last week that the Tories were “open borders lunatics that deserve their extinction”.
Asked whether he would look at his own rhetoric if he was asking other parties to do the same, he suggested there was a “clear difference” between what he had said and what other parties had said.
“Likening Reform to the Nazis, likening Reform to the fascists, regimes that are clearly the most brutal and horrific in history and saying they pose an urgent threat that needs to be stopped, I think those are in different categories,” he said.
Mr Yusuf also appeared to suggest that a £5 million gift which Mr Farage says he received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne to help pay for security to keep him safe for the rest of his life was primarily intended for after the leader leaves frontline politics.
Asked whether the sum was not enough to protect Mr Farage after senior Reform figures complained about the level of state-backed security their party and him have been offered, Mr Yusuf said: “I know I, and I hope millions of other people in this country hope Nigel lives a long and healthy life long after he is not leader of Reform UK, and that’s when, of course, that money will become really important.”
Asked whether the cost of Reform’s policy on round-the-clock security for potentially all 650 MPs could far exceed its £100 million estimate, Mr Yusuf said: “We’re going to put something out with the costings in there.
“I will say this, even if the cost is materially more, it is still important that we do this because the counter-argument to that is it is an acceptable risk that something like what happened to poor Ann happens again.
“And I will go to the wall on that point.”
Mr Farage has said he plans to meet the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, the body responsible for the security of high-profile figures, on Thursday following an offer from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
“I will be in London tomorrow to meet the Home Office committee that deal with VIP and royal protection and really helping them to understand what the threats are,” he told TalkTV on Wednesday.
Mr Farage was reportedly offered a security package similar to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch last year, including a bodyguard, car and trained driver, but he turned it down because he deemed it a downgrade.
He said: “What happened was I was provided with… much bigger security than Kemi Badenoch.
“Do you know why? Because I go out around the country and walk down high streets. I go and mix in public events. I’m surrounded by hundreds of people.
“I can’t do that with a driver and one officer. I have to have people that go ahead, scout out the environment. I need more people because of my constant interaction with huge numbers of the public.
“What happened last year was they cut that by 75% to the level that I simply could not have continued to operate the way that I was.
“That really is part of the thinking behind the big gift that I got from Christopher Harborne.”
Mr Farage’s resignation as Clacton MP paused an investigation by Parliament’s standards commissioner over the £5 million gift he received from crypto-billionaire and Reform donor Mr Harborne before he became an MP.
He has faced criticism for speculating about the motive for the suspected murder of Miss Widdecombe.
Mr Farage has also claimed there is an “establishment narrative” trying to demonise his party.
“I do point the finger at political leaders, I do point the finger at much of mainstream media. They are building up a narrative of total hatred against us,” he said.
A Conservative spokesman said: “Reform is all too happy to dish it out and not happy to take it. There is no party that’s immune to criticism in politics. That applies equally to every single party.
“I think it’s ironic that Zia Yusuf is the one that’s saying it when he has spent a lot of time calling Tory MPs traitors and a lot worse on Twitter and is now accusing other parties of incitement.
“Obviously, the murder of Ann Widdecombe is a tragic event, and that must be kept in mind. But there’s fundamentally an issue here where Reform is happy to hold themselves to a different standard to everyone else.”
They added: “Security for MPs should absolutely be discussed. But right now, the big concern of the Conservative Party is how we fund defence, how we fund policing and that conversation should take primacy.”
