As a Conservative MP for over twenty years, Andrew Rosindell has seen hundreds of colleagues pass through the House of Commons. “There are some people who are changed by politics,” the MP for Romford tells this week’s Planet Normal podcast, which you can listen to using the audio player above. “When they come to the House, they’re one person and a year or two down the line, they seem very different because they’re adapting in order to climb the greasy pole. David would never do that.”

       On this week’s show, hosted by Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, two close friends and colleagues of the murdered MP Sir David Amess pay tribute to a man they feel lucky to have known: “He was everyone’s equal,” Mark Francois tells listeners. “He didn’t change his views in order to progress.”

       That integrity saw Sir David serve for twenty-four years without holding a ministerial position: something Andrew Rosindell, who knew him for four decades, regrets: “I don’t understand why someone like David, who clearly had a huge amount of ability and passion and charisma, wasn’t given a prominent role within government at some point… I think it’s the party’s loss.”

       Perhaps a clue lies in Mark Francois’ allusion to his friend’s steadfast independence: “If there are rules in heaven, you can bet your bottom dollar that David Amess, one way or another, has started to work around them”.

       Listen to Mark Francois and Andrew Rosindell on Planet Normal, a weekly Telegraph podcast featuring news and views from beyond the bubble, using the audio player above or subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred podcast app.

       Join Allison Pearson to discuss MPs' security and the latest Planet Normal episode in the comments section of this article at 11am on Thursday 21 October.