Homeless man who slept rough outside parliament dies
Written by News on 20/12/2018
Tributes have been paid after a homeless man sleeping rough outside parliament collapsed and died.
Police confirmed that a man – believed to be a foreign national – had passed away after first aid given at the scene and subsequent hospital treatment failed to revive him.
He collapsed not far from the entrance to Westminster Tube station, which links directly to the Houses of Parliament, late on Tuesday night.
“At around 11.30pm on 18 December, we were alerted by officers from British Transport Police (BTP) to a man collapsed in an underpass near to Westminster underground station,” said a Met Police spokesman.
“First aid was administered by the BTP officers and the man was taken to a central London hospital, where he died in the early hours of 19 December.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious.”
Police have not named the man, but among the flowers and candles placed at the scene of his collapse is a piece of paper with “Gyula Remes 1975-2018” written on it.
Sir Keir Starmer spoke of the death in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, following a question by Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb.
Mr Lamp asked the Labour frontbencher whether he agreed that it was “grotesque and obscene” that the government was spending “billions of pounds” preparing for a “no-deal” Brexit, rather than on addressing “burning injustices” such as mental health care and homelessness.
The shadow Brexit secretary said he did agree, adding: “Tragically, one of those sleeping right outside the entrance and exit to this place died in the last 24 hours or so.”
Back in February, the government minister for homelessness vowed to “find solutions” after another rough sleeper died just yards away from parliament.
Heather Wheeler said it was “dreadful news” and said the death would “push me on to find solutions and to work to eradicate rough sleeping for good”.
The government has pledged £100m to halve rough sleeping in England by 2022 and eradicate it by 2027, with more than 24,000 people in Britain to be sleeping rough or in cars, trains or tents over Christmas.
Charities including Crisis and Shelter are calling for more action from the government and the public.
(c) Sky News 2018: Homeless man who slept rough outside parliament dies
