Mrs Helen Joanne “Jo” Cox the Member for Batley and Spen has died after being shot and stabbed multiple times following a constituency meeting.
Armed officers responded to the attack near a library (above) in Birstall, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, this afternoon. A 52-year-old man was arrested in the area, police confirmed. The suspect was named locally as Tommy Mair. Below:
Police stated that Mrs Cox, was pronounced dead at 1.48pm on Thursday by a doctor with paramedics at the scene.
There have been reports that Mrs Cox’s attacker shouted “Britain first” before the shooting and during the arrest. A witness stated, “I heard the shot and I ran outside and saw some ladies from the cafe running out with towels,” he said. “There was loads of screaming and shouting and the police officers showed up. “He was shouting ‘Britain first’ when he was doing it and being arrested. He was pinned down by two police officers and she was taken away in an ambulance.”
Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of Britain First, said the party was “looking into the reports right now”. “We were extremely shocked to see these reports and we are keen to confirm them, because of course at the moment it is hearsay,” she said. “This has just been brought to our attention. This is absolutely not the kind of behaviour we would condone.”
It has been announced that campaigning in the referendum has been suspended.
British Gazette comment: Mrs “Jo” Cox was the mother of two young children and was shot dead a few days before her 42nd birthday on the 22nd June.
We are not going to speculate on a case in which the police have arrested a man. The above information has been complied from already published accounts. We offer our condolences to Mr Cox and Mrs Cox’s family and friends.
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
In shooting the life out of Jo Cox, Mair has shot the life out of the Leave campaign. This country was on the cusp of a vote to leave the EU. Not now. Have been watching the BBC News at 10. They are already subtly being to make linkage. Some of us have been campaigning since the last referendum to get this country free. This deranged twisted hate filled moron has XXXXed all our efforts.
Jack,
You are right. But:
Mair has a history of mental problems. His neighbours say he wasn’t political, but he had a gun, but it seems they didn’t know him well.
He went armed, evidently to do harm. We do not know why he and another man were fighting. Jo Cox came out. As far as we know, he didn’t try to burst into her surgery. If she was his target, on the face of it he went about his foul deed very oddly.
Did he shout “Britain First” before walking away? Witnesses differ.
On this (so far flimsy) basis, some left wingers have been voicing hatred for the Brexit campaign.
Polly Toynbee is set to make linkage between Jo Cox’s murder and the Leave campaign.
The BBC has cancelled this evening’s broadcasts of Question Time and This Week.
The Remain campaign has suspended campaigning for today and tomorrow.
It suits the Remain side to have campaigning suspended for as long as possible, to take the wind out of Leave side’s sails.
I want to know this: who supplied Mair with a gun and when.