The British public and political community are in mourning following the tragic death of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed yesterday in a stabbing and shooting attack.
The attack took place around lunchtime yesterday before Mrs Cox was about to hold a constituency surgery in the library of Birstall, a village in West Yorkshire. Police have arrested the alleged murderer, a 52-year-old man, named locally as Tommy Mair.
Jo Cox, a mother of two young children, was elected as MP for Batley and Spen in 2015, and worked at Oxfam before entering Parliament.
Tributes have been paid around the world to Mrs Cox. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “This is absolutely tragic and dreadful news and my thoughts are with Jo’s husband Brendan, their two children and wider family. We’ve lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened”.
Today, Prime Minister Cameron and Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn jointly paid tribute to Jo Cox in her constituency town of Birstall. Mr Corbyn said: “Jo was an exceptional, wonderful, very talented woman, taken from us in her early 40s when she had so much to give and so much of her life ahead of her. It’s a tragedy beyond tragedy what happened yesterday… In her memory, we will not allow those people that spread hatred and poison to divide our society, we will strengthen our democracy, strengthen our free speech”.
CFI Executive Director James Gurd said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of Jo Cox’s death. Thoughts and prayers with her family and the Labour Party”.
