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One Year On: Jo Cox Remembered

One Year On: Jo Cox Remembered

Her killer is serving a whole-life in prison.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Today marks a year since the death of Labour MP and mother of two Jo Cox, who was fatally shot and stabbed by a far-right extremist in Birstall, near Leeds.

Jo was survived by her two children and her husband Brendan Cox, who since his wife's death has devoted his time to fighting 'against the hatred that killed her'.

Following her murder, he released a statement saying: "She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now: one, that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her."

He added: "Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous."

Brendan Cox
Brendan Cox

Brendan Cox addresses a rally in Trafalgar Square, 2016. Credit: PA

Jo Cox, 41 at the time of her death, was a highly popular Labour party MP from Batley, West Yorkshire. On 16 June 2016, she was due to hold a constituency surgery when she was attacked by 52-year-old Thomas Mair.

She was singled out as a defender of the European Union and immigration - two tense issues in 2016, with the EU referendum still on the horizon. As Mair attacked her, he was reported to have shouted 'Britain First', in reference to a right-wing political party which stands in opposition to both issues. Later, when asked to confirm his name in court as he faced murder charges, Mair replied: "My name is 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain'."

Speaking on the topic of immigration in her maiden speech, Cox said: "Our communities have been deeply enhanced by immigration, be it of Irish Catholics across the constituency or of Muslims from Gujarat in India or from Pakistan, principally from Kashmir.

"While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us."

Jo Cox
Jo Cox

Jo Cox in 2016, at a charity event to raise money for Macmillan. Credit: PA

Jo's murder was the first killing of a British MP since 1990 and shook the nation to its core at an already highly volatile time in UK politics.

A devoted mother of two, Jo was the MP for the Batley and Spen constituency from her election in May 2015 until her murder in June last year.

The daughter of a school secretary and a factory worker, she excelled at school where she became head girl before leaving to study social and political sciences at Cambridge University. Moving on from her studies she became heavily involved with NGOs, namely Oxfam and Save The Children, among others.

She joined Oxfam in 2002, as head of their EU Office in Brussels, and became head of policy and advocacy in 2005. An avid campaigner for women's rights, she also chaired the Labour Women's Network for four years.

Jo spent 10 years in the charity aid world. It was dangerous work, which often took her to war zones. She met her husband Brendan, a former executive at Save the Children, while they both worked in the industry.

She was also a prominent campaigner for the rights and protection of refugees living in the UK, as well as being an outspoken advocate of the EU.

Cameron, Corbyn et al
Cameron, Corbyn et al

Hilary Benn, John Bercow, then-Prime Minister David Cameron, Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin
and Jeremy Corbyn lay flowers in the wake of Jo Cox's murder in 2016. Credit: PA

Today, a year on from her death, memorial events are being held across the length and breadth of the country.

Mrs Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater, told the BBC the events were "nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with religion.

"Nothing to do with anything other than getting together with people in your communities.

"People are desperate for it - people want something that is about coming together and being positive."

Thomas Mair is currently serving life in prison with a whole-life term, meaning he will never become eligible for parole.

Words: Paddy Maddison

Featured Image Credit: PA