MPs shocked at death of homeless man just outside Parliament tube
3 min read
MPs have expressed their shock and dismay after a suspected rough sleeper was found dead just yards from the entrance to Parliament.
Police were called to the scene just before 7.20am after a man was reported as unresponsive outside exit three of Westminster underground station.
Despite reaching arriving at the scene shortly afterwards, the man was pronounced dead.
MPs and journalists took to Twitter to express their shock and condolences after the man died, with Labour’s Paula Sheriff calling the situation “absolutely tragic”.
Old Bermondsey and Southwark MP Neil Coyle joined his Labour colleague in expressing shock at the death, which he said was “an appalling indictment of Government failure”.
Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said it was a "terrible tragedy that somebody ends their days like this," and urged the Government to do more.
The number of people sleeping rough has risen steadily with numbers rising every year since 2010.
According to homeless charity Shelter, some 300,000 people in England were without permanent accommodation by the end of 2017, with 964 of those sleeping rough in London.
Mr Coyle, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on homelessness, said: ”We have seen growing problems since 2010, as MPs, journalists and others who pass through Westminster every day will know all too well.
“This government now has on its doorstep a reminder of just how bad things are, and if they continue to ignore this growing problem, incidents like this will become more regular.
“I think members of the public will believe this is utterly unacceptable and it is time for the government to commit to action to ending rough sleeping and homelessness - many of the root causes of which we know already.”
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
