Chris Mason: Investigation into Widdecombe’s death rekindles debate over how to protect politicians

There is a depressing familiarity to the conversation among MPs about their safety.

It is a topic those on all sides will regularly reflect on in private, given the day-to-day impact it has on many of them.

But the latest news about counter terrorism police taking over the investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death has brought back again, and in public, a discussion about how MPs can remain accessible and safe.

There was a sombre and reflective mood in the Commons on Monday afternoon as MPs both remembered Widdecombe – so many, whether they agreed with her or not, admiring her character and conviction – and pondered what more could be done to protect those in public life.

The longstanding Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin said it was an “unfortunate statistical fact that as a member of parliament you are more likely to meet a violent death than a member of His Majesty’s armed forces or a member of the British police forces”.

Plenty, including those who have been MPs for decades, said it felt more dangerous than ever – and many blamed social media for contributing to an atmosphere where violent language and abuse had been normalised.

The former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “We need to reiterate, and the Government and the home secretary needs to specify, to all those social media companies they must do something to close down on the visceral, violent language that some people use, attacking personally – as they did over her murder – which has shocked me, to make sure we get on top of that because that is the root of violence and death.”