Jo
Cox death unites Britain’s warring politicians in sorrow
Brexit
campaign suspended as MP’s husband pleads for ‘unity against the
hatred that killed her.’
By TOM MCTAGUE
6/16/16, 10:42 PM CET Updated 6/16/16, 10:55 PM CET
LONDON — Britain’s
angry and increasingly divisive EU referendum campaign cannot be the
same again. The brutal killing of an MP has changed everything.
Westminster is in a
state of shock. As the news of Jo Cox’s death broke early Thursday
evening, the hostility that has defined much of the campaign appeared
to drain away. For a short time at least, MPs were united in genuine
shock and sadness at the loss of the 41-year-old mother of two little
girls, aged three and five.
Many are simply
scared for themselves and their families. The ever-increasing vitriol
they have to face has become a daily part of their lives. Death
threats on Twitter are common and assaults in constituency surgeries
a growing menace. But no one in Westminster was braced for such a
ferocious attack.
Labour MP David
Lammy said his colleagues were walking around parliament in a state
of shock. “People are standing in total disbelief,” he said.
The London MP
revealed that he had written to the local authorities just last week
about his own security after receiving two threats in the last month.
“You’ve just got to look at the tone of some of the messages on
Twitter,” he told Sky News.
‘Jo believed in a
better world and she fought for it every day of her life’ —
Brendan Cox
It’s highly
unlikely that the debate can return to normal any time soon. The
slurs and abuse of the last few weeks will not be allowed to resume —
not for a while at least.
The dignified call
for unity from Cox’s husband makes it politically impossible for
either side to quickly resume the war of words that has tarnished the
campaign. Brendan Cox pledged to “fight against the hate that
killed Jo” and called on MPs to help.
He said: “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.”
And yet, even in the
immediate aftermath of the attack, the political implications for the
referendum will undoubtedly be played out in both campaigns. London’s
Evening Standard newspaper splashed the attack across its front page,
announcing that a “Remain MP” had been gunned down. The language
illustrates the extent to which next week’s vote has become the
prism through which everything is now seen.
Later, at the police
press conference to confirm Cox’s death, questions of motive
dominated.
In the immediate
aftermath of the attack it had been reported that the killer shouted
“Britain First” as he stabbed, shot and kicked the Labour MP to
death. The claim was quickly called into question, but police refused
to deny its accuracy.
Casting a long
shadow
In the next few
days, the immediate impact on the Brexit campaign will be that it is
effectively called off.
Vigils are being
held in Cox’s constituency and in Westminster. There will be calls
for tributes in the House of Commons, which has broken for recess.
George Osborne
Thursday afternoon announced that his set-piece Mansion House speech
would not go ahead. The Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney
followed suit. The prime minister scrapped a planned rally in
Gibraltar out of respect, flying back to Britain instead.
No campaign events
will go ahead for either side Friday, with Labour considering a
longer suspension over the weekend.
David Cameron’s
appearance on the BBC’s special Question Time on Sunday is likely
to mark the return to campaigning, but will still be overshadowed by
the fallout from the attack.
Cameron knows well
enough that in times of national mourning, part of his role as prime
minister is to speak on behalf of the public — to unify and
reassure. Even his fiercest detractors acknowledge it’s a role in
which he excels.
As happened after
the Paris attacks, support for a president or prime minister often
rises in tragedy as people respond to their leadership.
With just a few days
of campaigning left, those battling against Brexit — including
almost all of Cox’s Labour Party colleagues — will hope that the
sombre mood of the country takes some of the heat out of the debate
which looked to be carrying the country out of the EU.
Jeremy Corbyn, the
Labour leader, is also likely to win respect for his dignified
response to the tragedy, potentially winning back support from
traditional party voters flirting with Brexit.
Speaking in the
minutes following the announcement of Cox’s death, Corbyn said: “In
the coming days, there will be questions to answer about how and why
she died. But for now all our thoughts are with Jo’s husband
Brendan and their two young children. They will grow up without their
mum, but can be immensely proud of what she did, what she achieved
and what she stood for.”
Of course, there
will also be sympathy for the Labour Party — or at least a dimming
of the animosity it is currently facing, further strengthening the
Remain campaign.
Authors:
Tom McTague
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