It has been a decade since the MP for Batley and Spen was killed by a far-right extremist. Her sister, Kim Leadbeater, who later took over her parliamentary seat, explains what lessons are still to be learned from the tragedy.
The Life and Death of Jo Cox
Jo Cox was the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, the place she had grown up and known her whole life. She was firmly pro-Europe, a passionate campaigner for social justice, and the mother of two young children, aged five and three. On 16 June 2016, at the height of a toxic Brexit campaign, she was murdered by a far-right extremist. He shot and stabbed her several times outside Birstall library in West Yorkshire, shouting: “This is for Britain.” She was 41.
The Foundation and Legacy
Her sister, Kim Leadbeater, and her family set up the Jo Cox Foundation in her honour. Leadbeater later took on her former constituency, continuing Jo's work. A decade later, with far-right ideas increasingly mainstream and far-right violence more common, Leadbeater tells Nosheen Iqbal what lessons we can learn from the tragedy.
Key Takeaways from the Podcast
- The impact of extremist rhetoric during political campaigns
- The importance of community resilience in the face of hate
- The ongoing fight for social justice and unity
The podcast explores how Britain has changed since Jo Cox's murder and what still needs to be done to combat extremism and build a more inclusive society.
