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==Death==
==Death==
{{main|Death of Jo Cox}}
{{main|Death of Jo Cox}}
[[File:Library and Information Centre - Market Street, Birstall - geograph.org.uk - 491799.jpg|thumb|right|The library in [[Birstall, West Yorkshire|Birstall]] where Cox had been holding a constituency [[surgery (politics)|surgery]] before the attack]]
[[File:Library and Information Centre - Market Street, Birstall - geograph.org.uk - 491799.jpg|thumb|right|The library in [[Birstall, West Yorkshire|Birstall]] where Cox had been due to hold a constituency [[surgery (politics)|surgery]] at the time of the attack]]
On 16 June 2016, Cox was fatally shot and stabbed outside a library in [[Birstall, West Yorkshire|Birstall]], [[West Yorkshire]], upon leaving a [[surgery (politics)|constituency surgery]] scheduled for 1:00&nbsp;pm.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|title=Labour MP Jo Cox dies after being shot and stabbed in her constituency near Leeds|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-leeds-witnesses-report/|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=The Telegraph|first=Danny |last=Boyle}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite news|title=Labour MP Jo Cox has died after being shot and stabbed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-west-yorkshire|first1=Robert |last1=Booth|first2=Vikram |last2=Dodd|first3=Nazia | last3= Parveen|work=The Guardian|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016}}</ref>
On 16 June 2016, Cox was fatally shot and stabbed outside a library in [[Birstall, West Yorkshire|Birstall]], [[West Yorkshire]], prior to attending a [[surgery (politics)|constituency surgery]] scheduled for 1:00&nbsp;pm.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|title=Labour MP Jo Cox dies after being shot and stabbed in her constituency near Leeds|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-leeds-witnesses-report/|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=The Telegraph|first=Danny |last=Boyle}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite news|title=Labour MP Jo Cox has died after being shot and stabbed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-west-yorkshire|first1=Robert |last1=Booth|first2=Vikram |last2=Dodd|first3=Nazia | last3= Parveen|work=The Guardian|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016}}</ref>


According to [[witness|eyewitnesses]], she was shot three times—once near the head—and stabbed multiple times. A 77-year-old was also stabbed while trying to prevent her death. Police are investigating reports that the assailant shouted "Britain first" as he carried out the attack.<ref name="telegraph"/><ref name="guardian"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://next.ft.com/content/53ac09fe-33c3-11e6-ad39-3fee5ffe5b5b|title=British MP Jo Cox shot and killed|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=Financial Times|authors=Kate Allen, Henry Mance & Andrew Bounds}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The [[far-right politics|far-right]] [[Britain First]] party issued a statement denying any involvement or encouragement in the attack and suggested that the phrase "could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/06/16/batley-and-spen-mp-shot-in-birstall-5948867/|title=MP Jo Cox shot outside Birstall library by man shouting 'Britain First'|quote=Britain First obviously is NOT involved and would never encourage behaviour of this sort.|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=Metro|first=Richard|last= Hartley-Parkinson}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Britain First party leader 'just as shocked as everyone else'|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-leeds-witnesses-report/#update-20160616-1617|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=The Telegraph|date=16 June 2016|first=Danny|last= Boyle|quote=Jo Cox is obviously an MP campaigning to keep Britain in the EU so if it was shouted by the attacker it could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party - we just don't know.}}</ref>
According to [[witness|eyewitnesses]], she was shot three times—once near the head—and stabbed multiple times. A 77-year-old was also stabbed while trying to prevent her death. Police are investigating reports that the assailant shouted "Britain first" as he carried out the attack.<ref name="telegraph"/><ref name="guardian"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://next.ft.com/content/53ac09fe-33c3-11e6-ad39-3fee5ffe5b5b|title=British MP Jo Cox shot and killed|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=Financial Times|authors=Kate Allen, Henry Mance & Andrew Bounds}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The [[far-right politics|far-right]] [[Britain First]] party issued a statement denying any involvement or encouragement in the attack and suggested that the phrase "could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/06/16/batley-and-spen-mp-shot-in-birstall-5948867/|title=MP Jo Cox shot outside Birstall library by man shouting 'Britain First'|quote=Britain First obviously is NOT involved and would never encourage behaviour of this sort.|date=16 June 2016|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=Metro|first=Richard|last= Hartley-Parkinson}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Britain First party leader 'just as shocked as everyone else'|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-leeds-witnesses-report/#update-20160616-1617|accessdate=16 June 2016|work=The Telegraph|date=16 June 2016|first=Danny|last= Boyle|quote=Jo Cox is obviously an MP campaigning to keep Britain in the EU so if it was shouted by the attacker it could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party - we just don't know.}}</ref>

Revision as of 11:51, 17 June 2016

Jo Cox
Cox in 2015
Member of Parliament
for Batley and Spen
In office
8 May 2015 – 16 June 2016
Preceded byMike Wood
Succeeded byVacant
Majority6,051 (12.00%)[1]
Personal details
Born
Helen Joanne Leadbeater

(1974-06-22)22 June 1974
Batley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Died16 June 2016(2016-06-16) (aged 41)
Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Political partyLabour
SpouseBrendan Cox
Children2
EducationHeckmondwike Grammar School
Alma materPembroke College, Cambridge
London School of Economics
WebsiteOfficial website

Helen Joanne "Jo" Cox[2] (née Leadbeater;[3] 22 June 1974 – 16 June 2016) was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Batley and Spen from her election in May 2015 until her death 13 months later in June 2016, having retained the seat with an increased majority for Labour in the 2015 general election.[4]

Born in Batley, West Yorkshire, Cox graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1995, before working as a political assistant, then joining the international humanitarian charity Oxfam, where she rose to become its head of policy. She was selected to contest the Batley and Spen constituency after the previous incumbent, Labour's Mike Wood, decided not to stand again in 2015. Having retained the seat for Labour she became a campaigner on issues relating to the Syrian Civil War and also founded the Friends of Syria, an all-party parliamentary group of which she became chair. She was described as "a tireless campaigner" for Syrian refugees.[5]

On 16 June 2016, Cox was shot and stabbed multiple times in Birstall, where she had been holding an advice surgery. She was left in critical condition and died from her injuries approximately an hour later. A 52-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack.[6]

Early life and education

Cox was born on 22 June 1974 in Batley, West Yorkshire, England, and raised in Heckmondwike. Her mother was a school secretary while her father worked in a toothpaste and hairspray factory.[7] She was educated at Heckmondwike Grammar School, a state grammar school, where she was head girl. During summers, she worked packing toothpaste.[7]

Cox studied Social and Political Sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1995. She was the first in her family to attend at university. She later studied at the London School of Economics.[1][8][9][10][11] She later recalled her experience at Cambridge, where family pedigrees were viewed as important, "knocked me for about five years".[1]

Career

Early career

Following her graduation, Cox worked as an adviser to Labour MP Joan Walley, before moving to Brussels to spend two years advising Glenys Kinnock, who was then a Member of the European Parliament.[1] Cox worked for the aid groups Oxfam and Oxfam International between 2001 and 2009, serving first in Brussels as the leader of the group's trade-reform campaign, becoming head of policy and advocacy of Oxfam GB in 2005, and then becoming head of Oxfam International's humanitarian campaigns in New York in 2007.[12][5] Her work at Oxfam, including meeting disadvantaged groups in Darfur and Afghanistan influenced political career.[1]

Cox's charity work later led to a role advising Sarah Brown (the wife of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown), who was spearheading a campaign to prevent deaths in pregnancy and childbirth.[7][13] Cox was national chair of the Labour Women's Network and a senior adviser to the Freedom Fund, an anti-slavery charity.[9][10]

Political career

Cox was nominated by the Labour Party to contest the Batley and Spen seat being vacated by Mike Wood in the 2015 general election.[14] She was selected as a candidate for a seat via an all-women shortlist.[1] The Batley and Spen constituency is generally a safe seat for Labour,[15] and Cox won the seat with 43.2% of the vote, increasing Labour's majority to 6,051[4][1]

Cox made her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 3 June 2015, using it to celebrate her constiuency's ethnic diversity, while highlighting the economic challenges facing the community and urging the government to rethink its approach to economic regeneration.[16] She was one of 36 Labour MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate in the Labour leadership election of 2015, but said at the time that she had done so in order to get him on the list and encourage a broad debate.[17] In the election she voted for Liz Kendall,[18] and announced on 6 May 2016 after the local elections that she and fellow MP Neil Coyle regretted nominating Corbyn.[19]

The Syrian conflict was one of Cox's main campaigning issues.[11] In October 2015 she co-authored, with Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, an article in The Observer arguing that British military forces could help achieve an ethical solution to the conflict in Syria.[20] During that month Cox launched the All Party Parliamentary Friends of Syria group, becoming its chair.[21][22] In the subsequent vote to approve UK military intervention against ISIL in Syria, Cox abstained (one of five Labour MPs to do so),[1] as she did not consider the intervention to be part of an effective comprehensive strategy to tackle the Syrian conflict including dealing with President Bashar al-Assad.[11][23]

Cox was a parliamentary supporter of the Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East[24], and called for the lifting of the Blockade of the Gaza Strip.[25] She had opposed efforts by the government to curtail the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, and has stated "I believe that this is a gross attack on democratic freedoms. Not only is it right to boycott unethical companies but it is our right to do so." [26]

Cox supported the "Remain" campaign during the 2016 referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.[27] Following her death, campaigning about the EU referendum was suspended for the day on both sides as a mark of respect.[12] The BBC also announced that the day's editions of Question Time and This Week, two political discussion programmes that were due to focus on issues relating to the referendum, would be cancelled.[28]

Death

Main article: Death of Jo Cox
The library in Birstall where Cox had been due to hold a constituency surgery at the time of the attack

On 16 June 2016, Cox was fatally shot and stabbed outside a library in Birstall, West Yorkshire, prior to attending a constituency surgery scheduled for 1:00 pm.[12][29]

According to eyewitnesses, she was shot three times—once near the head—and stabbed multiple times. A 77-year-old was also stabbed while trying to prevent her death. Police are investigating reports that the assailant shouted "Britain first" as he carried out the attack.[12][29][30] The far-right Britain First party issued a statement denying any involvement or encouragement in the attack and suggested that the phrase "could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party".[31][32]

Four hours after the incident, West Yorkshire Police announced that Cox had died at Leeds General Infirmary.[29][33] This was the first violent death of an MP for more than a quarter of a century,[34] since Ian Gow was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1990,[35][36] and the first serious assault on an MP since Stephen Timms was stabbed by Roshonara Choudhry in an attempted assassination in 2010.[37][38] A 52-year-old former psychiatric patient was arrested in connection with Cox's death.[12][39]

Cox's husband, Brendan, issued a statement following her death, urging people to "fight against the hatred that killed her".[40] Among those who paid tribute to Cox were Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who described her as someone who was "dedicated to getting us to live up to our promises to support the developing world and strengthen human rights",[41] while Prime Minister David Cameron said she was "a star for her constituents, a star in parliament, and right across the house".[42] US Democrat Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton paid tribute, saying "it is cruel and terrible that her life was cut short".[43]

Personal life

Cox was married to Brendan Cox, who served as an adviser on international development to Gordon Brown during the latter's premiership.[44][45] They had two children[9] who were aged three and five when she died.[46]

Cox's family divided their time between their constituency home and a houseboat (a converted barge) on the Thames, moored near Tower Bridge, London.[1][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jo Cox obituary: Proud Yorkshire lass who became local MP". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  2. ^ "No. 61230". The London Gazette. 18 May 2015.
  3. ^ Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert (18 May 2015). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015: Profiles of the New MPs and Analysis of the 2015 General Election Results. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781849549240.
  4. ^ a b "Batley & Spen Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Jo Cox obituary: The Labour MP who campaigned tirelessly for refugees". The Independent. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Jo Cox MP dead after shooting attack". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "Jo Cox profile: The Yorkshire lass who achieved her 'dream' of representing her hometown in Westminster". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  8. ^ 'COX, Helen Joanne, (Jo)', Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2016
  9. ^ a b c Martin, Shaw (12 May 2014). "Women's campaigner Jo Cox chosen as Labour candidate to fight next General Election in Batley & Spen". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Jo Cox". The Labour Party. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d "'I've been in some horrific situations' – MP". Yorkshire Post. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d e Boyle, Danny (16 June 2016). "Labour MP Jo Cox dies after being shot and stabbed in her constituency near Leeds". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  13. ^ Hope, Christopher (10 June 2014). "Oxfam: MPs shocked by 'disgraceful' political campaigning". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  14. ^ Shaw, Martin (12 May 2014). "Women's campaigner Jo Cox chosen as Labour candidate to fight next General Election in Batley & Spen". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  15. ^ Castle, Stephen; Bock, Pauline (16 June 2016). "Jo Cox, Member of British Parliament, Is Killed in Attack". New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Devolution And Growth Across Britain". Hansard. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Maiden speech made by new MP Cox before nominating Corbyn". Batley & Birstall News. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  18. ^ Grice, Andrew; Wright, Oliver (10 September 2015). "Labour moderates plot fightback aimed at regaining control of party in the event of Jeremy Corbyn victory". The Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  19. ^ Cox, Jo; Coyle, Neil (6 May 2016). "We nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership. Now we regret it". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  20. ^ Mitchell, Andrew; Cox, Jo (11 October 2015). "British forces could help achieve an ethical solution in Syria". The Observer. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  21. ^ Helm, Toby; Boffey, Daniel (10 October 2015). "More than 50 Labour MPs to defy Jeremy Corbyn in vote on Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  22. ^ Proctor, Kate (12 February 2016). "Jo Cox: Syrian ceasefire tipped in President Assad and Russia's favour". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  23. ^ Cox, Jo (2 December 2015). "With Regret, I Feel I Have No Other Option But to Abstain on Syria". Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Parliamentary supporters". Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  25. ^ "Making the progressive case for peace in Palestine and Israel: Labour Party policies to support the rule of law and human rights" (PDF). Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. December 2015. pp. 10–12. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  26. ^ "Have your say: Israel boycott ban". Jo Cox MP. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  27. ^ "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  28. ^ Goodacre, Kate (16 June 2016). "Question Time and This Week cancelled by BBC following the tragic death of Jo Cox MP". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  29. ^ a b c Booth, Robert; Dodd, Vikram; Parveen, Nazia (16 June 2016). "Labour MP Jo Cox has died after being shot and stabbed". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  30. ^ "British MP Jo Cox shot and killed". Financial Times. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)(subscription required)
  31. ^ Hartley-Parkinson, Richard (16 June 2016). "MP Jo Cox shot outside Birstall library by man shouting 'Britain First'". Metro. Retrieved 16 June 2016. Britain First obviously is NOT involved and would never encourage behaviour of this sort.
  32. ^ Boyle, Danny (16 June 2016). "Britain First party leader 'just as shocked as everyone else'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2016. Jo Cox is obviously an MP campaigning to keep Britain in the EU so if it was shouted by the attacker it could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party - we just don't know.
  33. ^ "Jo Cox MP dead after shooting attack". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  34. ^ Boyle, Danny; Akkoc, Raziye (17 June 2016). "Labour MP Jo Cox dies after being shot and stabbed as husband urges people to 'fight against the hate' that killed her". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  35. ^ Calamur, Krishnadev; Vasilogambros, Matt (16 June 2016). "The Attack on a British MP". The Atlantic. Retrieved 16 June 2016. As our colleague Matt Ford notes, Cox is the first MP to be assassinated in office since Ian Gow, a Conservative lawmaker who was killed in a car bombing by the Irish Republican Army in 1990.
  36. ^ Rentoul, John (16 June 2016). "Jo Cox Dead: A History of violence against MPs". Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  37. ^ Siddique, Haroon (16 June 2016). "Attack on Jo Cox is only the latest serious assault against an MP". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  38. ^ Nicks, Denver (16 June 2016). "Assassinated British MP Was a Vocal Humanitarian". Time. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  39. ^ Withnall, Adam (16 June 2016). "Jo Cox shot: Man arrested after Labour MP shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire - latest updates". Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  40. ^ "Jo Cox death: Husband leads tributes to shot MP". BBC News. BBC. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  41. ^ John, Tara. "Tributes Pour in for Jo Cox Following British MP's Death". Time. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  42. ^ "Jo Cox MP: 'We've lost a bright star' says Cameron". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  43. ^ "Jo Cox death: Tributes paid in memory of killed Labour MP". BBC News. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  44. ^ Sims, Alexandra (16 June 2016). "Jo Cox dead: MP's husband Brendan Cox says wife was killed by 'hate'". Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  45. ^ "Husband posts picture on Twitter of MP wife outside their houseboat". The Daily Telegraph. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  46. ^ "MP Jo Cox killed in appalling street attack". SKY News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Batley and Spen
2015–2016 		Vacant
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jo_Cox&oldid=725715939"