Murder of Jo Cox

Death of Jo Cox
Location	Birstall, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Date	16 June 2016 around 1 pm (British Summer Time)
Attack type	Shooting, stabbing
Weapons	Firearm, knife
Deaths	1
Injured	1
Victims	Jo Cox Bernard Kenny[1]

On 16 June 2016, Jo Cox, the British Labour Party Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen, was shot and stabbed multiple times in Birstall, West Yorkshire, England, shortly before she was due to hold a constituency surgery. A 52-year-old man with a history of mental illness, Thomas Mair, was arrested in connection with Cox's death and subsequently charged with murder and other offenses. Mair was born in Scotland but had lived in Birstall for many years.

This was the first killing of a sitting MP for more than a quarter of a century.

Attack

Around 1.00 pm on Thursday, 16 June 2016, Jo Cox was attacked by a man on Market Street, Birstall, West Yorkshire, armed with a knife and a firearm, described as "old or makeshift" and "probably an old sawed-off shotgun". A 77-year-old man was also attacked nearby. At 1.48 pm, Cox was pronounced dead by a doctor working with the paramedic crew attending.

Some witnesses reported that the suspect had screamed or shouted "Britain first" or "Put Britain first" as he carried out the attack.

Suspect

Thomas Alexander "Tommy" Mair (born 12 August 1963 in Kilmarnock, Scotland) was arrested in connection with Cox's death.

Mair was reported as having links to right-wing organisations, although his older brother, Scott Mair, described him as apolitical and having had a history of mental illness. He had lived in Birstall for at least forty years and was described as polite and reserved.

Mair had ties with neo-Nazi groups: The Independent reported that he had links to far-right organisations, such as the Springbok Club, an organisation which had defended Apartheid in South Africa, and listed him as a supporter in a magazine. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an American anti-extremism group, stated the suspect was a "longtime and dedicated" supporter of the far-right National Alliance, an American neo-Nazi and white supremacist group. The SPLC released receipts indicating that Mair had spent more than $620 purchasing publications from National Vanguard Books, the National Alliance's publishing arm. These included works on how to make improvised weapons, such as explosives and firearms.

Investigation and prosecution

A search of Mair's home by a special police unit subsequently found Nazi regalia and far-right books.

In a statement issued on 17 June 2016, West Yorkshire Police stated that Mair's links to far-right extremism were a "priority line of inquiry" in a search for a motive. Police also stated that they were keeping an open mind, investigating "how the suspect came to be in possession of an unlawfully held firearm" and looking at Mair's mental-health history. Police also stated that Cox was the victim of an "isolated but targeted" attack.

On 18 June, police announced that Mair had been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon, and was set to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court later the same day.

Reactions

Cox's husband Brendan issued a statement which said

Today is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. More difficult, more painful, less joyful, less full of love. I and Jo's friends and family are going to work every moment of our lives to love and nurture our kids and to fight against the hate that killed Jo. Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life that would exhaust most people. 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. Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous. Jo would have no regrets about her life, she lived every day of it to the full.

The statement was described by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as "one of the most moving statements I've ever heard from somebody so recently bereaved."

Following the death, flags were flown at half-mast at British public buildings, including the Palace of Westminster (the Houses of Parliament), Buckingham Palace, and 10 Downing Street. It was announced that the queen would write a private letter of condolence to Cox's widower. The counting of votes at the Tooting by-election, held on the day Cox died, was halted for a two-minute silence.

Friends of Cox established a fund in her memory to benefit the anti-extremist group Hope Not Hate and two other nonprofit groups.

Corbyn stated that "The whole of the Labour Party and Labour family – and indeed the whole country – will be in shock at the horrific murder of Jo Cox today" and paid tribute to a "wonderful woman". A vigil was held in Parliament Square attended by senior politicians in the Labour party including Corbyn. First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon described the news as "utterly shocking and tragic news, which has left everyone stunned". The Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo stated that "This is a truly appalling attack on a serving MP working hard to serve her community. This horrific act is an attack on democracy and the British freedoms that Jo Cox worked so diligently and passionately to defend". Rosena Allin-Khan, who won the Tooting by-election for Labour, used her victory speech to pay tribute to Cox: "Jo’s death reminds us that our democracy is precious but fragile. We must never forget to cherish it." Cameron and Corbyn made a joint visit to Birstall the day after the attack, where they joined locals to lay floral tributes to Cox. It was also announced that Parliament would be recalled on Monday 20 June to allow MPs to pay tribute to Cox.

The killing took place a week before the 2016 European Union membership referendum, due to be held on 23 June. Its two rival official campaigns suspended their activities for one day as a mark of respect to Cox. Prime Minister David Cameron cancelled a planned rally in Gibraltar in favour of British EU membership. The Conservative Party announced that they would not contest the ensuing by-election in Cox's constituency as a mark of respect. The Liberal Democrats, UK Independence Party and the Green Party also said they would not field candidates to elect Cox's successor.

International reaction

• Australia: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stated that he was "deeply shocked by the murder" and that "our condolences, prayers and solidarity are with her family and the people of the UK".
• Canada: The Canadian House of Commons observed a minute of silence following tributes from MPs, including an emotional tribute from her friend Nathan Cullen, who had known Cox for several years, and described her as "a dedicated Labour MP and a long advocate of human rights in Britain and around the world".
• France: Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he was "deeply sad for Mrs Cox's family and the British people".
• Germany: German chancellor Angela Merkel said the attack was "terrible" and called for a moderation of language to counter radicalisation and to foster respect.
• Ireland: Taoiseach Enda Kenny described the attack as an "appalling tragedy" and Tweeted that "Jo Cox, a mother doing her public duty, her life taken away. My deepest sympathies to her family". Due to the murder, he also suspended his campaign where he was to encourage Irish people living in the United Kingdom to vote in the European Union membership referendum.
• New Zealand: Prime Minister John Key called Cox's death "a great tragedy", while Andrew Little, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party said the party was "sickened and saddened" by her death. Writing on the website Stuff.co.nz, Labour MP Phil Twyford, a friend who had worked with Cox at Oxfam, said "Jo will be sorely missed by her family, her friends, UK politics and the international Labour movement."
• Spain: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy wrote to British Prime Minister David Cameron to express his condolences and ask they be passed on to Cox's family.
• Sweden: In a statement, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven described the assassination as an appalling attack on democracy that concerns all who believe in a free society.
• United States: Secretary of State John Kerry described the killing as "an assault on everybody who cares about and has faith in democracy" and described Cox as "a young woman with an enormous talent". Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2016 presidential election, said in a statement that she was "horrified by the assassination" which she described as a "violent act of political intolerance". Clinton called on people to "honour Jo Cox – by rejecting bigotry in all its forms, and instead embracing, as she always did, everything that binds us together". Former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who was seriously injured in a shooting in 2011, stated that she was "Absolutely sickened to hear of the assassination of Jo Cox. She was young, courageous, and hardworking. A rising star, mother, and wife."

Wider context

This was the first killing of a sitting MP for more than a quarter of a century, the last being the assassination of Eastbourne MP Ian Gow by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1990, and the first serious assault on an MP since Stephen Timms was stabbed by Roshonara Choudhry in an attempted assassination in 2010. Another example of an attack on an MP while carrying out their constituency duties was the attack on then-MP Nigel Jones in 2000, resulting in the death of his assistant local councillor Andrew Pennington.

Media outlets, such as BBC News reported that many MPs went ahead with planned constituency surgeries scheduled for the day after Cox's death, but with increased security. A spokeswoman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said that police forces had been asked to remind MPs to be vigilant about aspects of their personal safety: "Officers will offer further guidance and advice where an MP requests it on a case-by-case basis depending on any specific threat or risk." MPs also received advice from the party whips' offices urging them to discuss security measures with their local police forces.