On 16 June 2016, Jo Cox, a British Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen, died after being shot and stabbed multiple times in Birstall, West Yorkshire. In November 2016, 53-year-old Thomas Alexander Mair was found guilty of her murder and other offences connected to the killing in an act of terrorism. The judge concluded that Mair wanted to advance white supremacy and exclusive nationalism most associated with Nazism and its modern forms. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order.
The incident was the first killing of a sitting British MP since the death of Conservative MP Ian Gow, who was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1990, and the first murder of a politician in the United Kingdom since county councillor Andrew Pennington was killed in 2000.
Attack
Jo Cox was elected to represent the parliamentary constituency Batley and Spen at the 2015 general election, having spent several years working for the international humanitarian charity Oxfam.
On 16 June 2016, Cox was on her way to meet constituents at a routine surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, when Thomas Mair shot her twice in the head and once in the chest with a modified .22 hunting rifle then stabbed her 15 times outside a library on Market Street. Cox died of her injuries shortly after being admitted to Leeds General Infirmary. She was 41 years old.
The retired mines rescuer Bernard Carter-Kenny, 77, was also stabbed when coming to Cox's aid; he was subsequently awarded the George Medal for his bravery. Another witness followed Mair and identified him to police. Mair was arrested about a mile from the murder scene unarmed by police constables Craig Nicholls and Jonathan Wright, who were later awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal.
Perpetrator
The perpetrator was Thomas Alexander Mair, a 53-year-old unemployed gardener born in Scotland. Mair had mental health problems, though he was declared sane in the moment of the crime. He believed that individuals of liberal and left-wing political viewpoints, and the mainstream media were the cause of the world's problems. Writers at The Guardian suggested that he targeted Cox, a "passionate defender" of the European Union and immigration, because he saw her as "one of 'the collaborators' [and] a traitor" to white people.
Mair had links to British and American far-right political groups including the neo-fascist National Front, the United States-based neo-Nazi organisation National Alliance and the English Defence League; he had attended far-right gatherings and purchased publications from the National Alliance and other outlets, to some of which he had sent letters and expressed support for South African apartheid.
In his home were found Nazi regalia, far-right books, and information on the construction of bombs. He had searched the internet for information about the British National Party, South African apartheid, the Ku Klux Klan, prominent Jewish people, matricide, white supremacy, the Nazi Party, the SS, Israel, mass shootings, serial killers, Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., William Hague, Ian Gow (another assassinated MP), and Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik (about whose case he collected newspaper clippings). He also owned Nazi iconography and books and films related to the Nazis. A police official described Mair as a "loner in the truest sense of the word ... who never held down a job, never had a girlfriend [and] never [had] any friends". The Guardian said that he "appears to have fantasised about killing a 'collaborator' for more than 17 years, drawing inspiration from David Copeland".
The evening before killing Cox, Mair visited a treatment centre in Birstall seeking help for depression; he was told to return the next day for an appointment. Mair's health was not part of the defence case in the trial. After his arrest, he was examined by a psychiatrist who found no evidence that Mair's mental health was so impaired that he could not be held responsible for his conduct.
In October 2020, a press report stated that West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiries Team continued to investigate how he acquired the weapon used, which remains a mystery. The lack of communication on Mair's phone was described by Detective Chief Inspector Nick Wallen, who led the investigation into Mair, as not indicating someone who was "immersed in criminality". A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "A lengthy investigation was carried out to try and establish how Thomas Mair acquired this firearm. All lines of enquiry have for the time being been exhausted, but the investigation will be revisited if further information comes to light."
Trial, conviction and sentence
On 18 June 2016, asked to confirm his name in Westminster Magistrates' Court, Mair said, "My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain." His lawyers said there was no indication of how he would plead. Mair was remanded in custody and the magistrate suggested he be seen by a psychiatrist.
At a bail hearing on 20 June, the judge remanded Mair in custody until a hearing to be held "under terrorism-related protocols". At the next hearing on 23 June, the judge said the case would be handled as part of "the terrorism case management list", on which cases related to terrorism as defined by the Terrorism Act 2000 are placed. At a September 2016 hearing, Mair's counsel said they would not advance a diminished responsibility argument. At another hearing the following month, Mair—again appearing by video link—refused to enter a plea; the judge entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf.
Mair's trial began at the Old Bailey on 14 November 2016. He made no attempt to defend himself. Witnesses testified that during the attack, Mair had cried out "This is for Britain", "keep Britain independent", and "Britain first". On 23 November 2016, the jury took about 90 minutes to convict Mair of Cox's murder, grievous bodily harm against Bernard Carter-Kenny, possession of a firearm with intent, and possession of a dagger. The same day, Mair was sentenced to life imprisonment; the judge said he had no doubt Mair murdered Cox to advance political, racial, and ideological causes of violent white supremacism and exclusive nationalism most associated with Nazism and its modern forms. This made the case exceptionally serious; accordingly the judge imposed a whole life term, meaning Mair will never be eligible for parole. As confirmed by the Crown Prosecution Service, Mair's conviction for a crime amounting to a terrorism offence also means he is officially classed as a terrorist by the United Kingdom.
Reaction
Cox's funeral was held in her constituency on 15 July and thousands of people paid their respects as the cortège passed.
United Kingdom
Cox's husband Brendan issued a statement on 16 June, the day of her death, 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". In a later interview, broadcast by the BBC on 21 June, Brendan Cox said of his wife:
She was a politician and she had very strong political views and I believe she was killed because of those views ... I think she died because of them and she would want to stand up for those in death as much as she did in life.
Following the death, Union Flags on British public buildings, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, and 10 Downing Street, were flown at half mast. It was announced that the Queen would write a private letter of condolence to Cox's widower. The counting of votes in the Tooting by-election held on the day Cox died, was halted for a two-minute silence.
Corbyn stated, "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 attended by senior Labour Party politicians, including Corbyn, was held in Parliament Square. First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon described the news as "utterly shocking and tragic news, which has left everyone stunned". Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo stated, "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, saying, "Jo's death reminds us that our democracy is precious but fragile. We must never forget to cherish it." One day after the attack, Corbyn and Prime Minister David Cameron visited Birstall, where they joined locals to lay floral tributes to Cox. Cameron said:
The most profound thing that has happened is that two children have lost their mother, a loving husband has lost a loving wife, and parliament has lost one of its most passionate and brilliant campaigners, someone who epitomised the fact that politics is about serving others.
Veteran Labour politician Neil Kinnock, whose wife Glenys had supported Cox's candidacy and whose son Stephen shared an office with her, described the family's grief in a BBC television interview. Writing for the Financial Times, Sarah Brown, who worked with Cox on a campaign to reduce the number of deaths in pregnancy and childbirth, said, "Jo's life testified to her view that tolerance is not enough. We must tackle the causes of prejudice and discrimination, teach ourselves how to treat others equally and do far more to help those most in need." Cox was remembered at church services held on Sunday 19 June, including one held at St Peter's Church, Birstall, where Rev. Paul Knight described her as a "fervent advocate for the poor and the oppressed".
On 17 June, friends of Cox established a fund in her memory. Proceeds were to be split between three non-profit groups; anti-extremist group Hope not Hate, Royal Voluntary Service that benefits the elderly, and the Syrian volunteer search-and-rescue group White Helmets. The fund raised over £500,000 in one day, and £1 million had been raised by 20 June. Significant donations to the Jo Cox Fund included an award of £375,000 that was raised from fines resulting from the Libor banking scandal. Proceeds from a cover version of the 1979 Bette Midler song "The Rose", recorded and released by Batley Community Choir, also benefited the fund. Friends organised "More in Common – Celebrating the life of Jo Cox", a public event in her remembrance held in Trafalgar Square, London, on 22 June – the date of her 42nd birthday. The event saw Cox's family transported on a memorial boat laden with floral tributes along the River Thames to Westminster, where crowds listened to speakers including Brendan Cox, Malala Yousafzai, Bono, Bill Nighy and Gillian Anderson.
Similar events took place around the world, including Batley and Spen, Auckland, Paris, Washington D.C., and Buenos Aires.
On 20 June, Oxfam announced it would release Stand As One – Live at Glastonbury 2016, an album of live performances from the 2016 Glastonbury Festival, in memory of Cox. Proceeds from the album, released on 11 July, went towards helping the charity's work with refugees. Musicians and festivalgoers at Glastonbury, held later that week, also paid tribute to Cox; at one concert Billy Bragg led the audience in a rendition of "We Shall Overcome" and was joined on stage by women wearing suffragette ribbons.