As Leader of the Opposition, I didn’t feel safe. The murder of a former UK MP validates such fears

PremiumOpinionUpdatedOpinion bySimon BridgesNZ Herald·17 Jul, 2026 03:12 AM6 mins to readSimon Bridges is the chief executive of the Auckland Business Chamber and was the leader of the National Party from 2018 to 2020. He has also served as the Minister for Transport, Economic Development and Communications. He has also worked as a senior Crown prosecutor in the Tauranga District and High Courts.‌Simon Bridges was National Party leader during a period of increasing social division at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo / Michael Cunningham

At the business forum with Indian PM Narendra Modi last week, I got into small talk with an Indian businesswoman. She marvelled at the fact our Cabinet ministers waltzed in and around without serious security details. It’s a similar response MPs and I used to get from new immigrant Uber