Five months on from the brutal murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, Thomas Mair has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Mrs Cox, mother of two and MP for Batley and Spen, was on her way to constituency surgery on June 16th when she had been shot and stabbed by Mair. who shouted “this is for Britain” and “keep Britain independent” during the attack.
Earlier this week, the count heard how Mair had planned the attack weeks in advance and was motivated by his association with Nazism, which was supported by evidence found by the police on his computer showing an obsession with white supremacy, the Nazis and apartheid-era South Africa.
“Our parents’ generation made huge sacrifices to defeat those ideas and values in the Second World War. What you did, and your admiration for those views which informed your crime, betrays the sacrifices of that generation,” the Judge told Mair.
In a statement to the courtroom, Mrs Cox’s husband, Brendan, said he felt “nothing but pity” for Mair.
This attack that took place in the run-up to the EU referendum sent shock waves through the government, making it clear the consequences that a divided nation can have.
The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, said:
“We’ve all been distressed about what happened to Jo. I think all of us – and it isn’t just politicians, it’s the whole of society now – have to look at how this has come about. Some of it is about the violent nature of our politics at the moment.
“A lot of MPs – Jo’s was a terrible, extreme example, but if you look at some of the abuse some people have suffered. In the past we’ve had it, but it’s on the rise again. We’ve had hate crime taking place, not just against migrants but a hate-crime rise against disabled people. I think what we have to be careful about in all walks of life now is to see how we can unite people.
“Even this Brexit vote has divided society. How can we come back together? I think everything we do now is about trying to unite our country, ensure that we engage in democratic debate in a civilised way. We will all learn lessons from this.”
Since his wife’s murder, Brendan Cox has said that Jo’s voice has only been strengthened since her death in June. He plans to continue the Jo Cox foundation, which has raised over £2 million for issues such as the refugee crisis, autism and women in politics.
“We are in a place in the world where that message is even more necessary and Jo, if she was alive now, would be spending the vast majority of her time on making that case and that argument. She’s not here, so we are going to do that in her name.”