Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of Sir David Amess after the appalling shock of his murder on Friday.

While we realise the investigation is ongoing, we are deeply saddened that the killing may have been motivated by extreme hatred. As an anti-prejudice education charity, we are concerned that it should not lead to an escalation of prejudice, especially against people who happen to have, or are perceived to have, the same ethnicity or religion as the suspect.

The need has never been greater for all of us to stand together – in supporting our elected representatives, in educating our young people about democratic values, and in handling our political and religious differences through an overriding belief in our common humanity.

As Anne Frank wrote in her diary on 6 July 1944:

“We’re all leading lives that are different and yet the same.”