Southend to be granted city status

Southend-on-sea will be granted city status following the death of Sir David Amess, the prime minister has confirmed.

Speaking in the House of Commons as MPs paid tribute to the Southend West MP, who was murdered during a meeting in his constituency on Friday, Boris Johnson said it would be “accorded the city status it so clearly deserves.”

Sir David was well known for taking any opportunity he could to champion the granting of city status to Southend.

Johnson told parliament that Sir David “never once witnessed any achievement by any resident of Southend that could not somehow be cited in his bid to secure city status for that distinguished town.”