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Death of Jo Cox: police investigate motive for killing of Labour MP – latest news Jo Cox death: suspect 'bought gun guides from neo-Nazis' – latest updates
(35 minutes later)
11.18am BST
11:18
Helen Pidd
At the Yorkshire Shooting Centre in Mirfield, six miles away from Birstall, staff said Thomas Mair was not a customer, our Northern editor Helen Pidd reports.
A worker called Andy said: “He’s not known to us. We checked all our records and we don’t know him. He’s not been at the shooting range or bought guns or ammunition from us.
“It’s not easy to possess a firearm: it’s probably easier to buy one on the black market than to do it legally. It seems this is an unfortunate isolated incident.”
11.15am BST
11:15
Matthew Weaver
The Metropolitan police have confirmed that a man was arrested in March after Cox complained about abusive messages. The man arrested was not Thomas Mair.
In a statement Scotland Yard said:
Officers received an allegation of malicious communications from Jo Cox MP, and in March 2016 arrested a man in connection with the investigation.
The man subsequently accepted a police caution.
The man who accepted the police caution is not the man in custody in West Yorkshire.
Updated
at 11.19am BST
11.12am BST
11:12
After winning the Tooting byelection for Labour on Thursday, Rosena Allin-Khan paid tribute to Jo Cox instead of making a victory speech. Here’s video of her remarks:
11.10am BST
11:10
Here is Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, commenting on the killing of Jo Cox.
In Berlin German Chancellor #Merkel called #JoCox's death "terrible and dramatic". pic.twitter.com/QgI0qc5bl6
11.05am BST
11:05
Mair bought homemade gun guide from neo-Nazi group
The man arrested over the killing of the MP Jo Cox bought books from a US-based neo-Nazi group, including guides on how to build homemade guns and explosives, according an anti-hate campaign group in the US, Matthew Weaver and Nicky Woolf report.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) published receipts that appeared to show Thomas Mair bought, among other books, a manual on how to make a homemade pistol from the National Alliance.
The receipts, some of which date back to the 1990s, showed Mair spent more than $620 (£436) on literature from the group, which advocates the creation of an all-white homeland and the eradication of Jewish people.
He bought books that instructed readers on the “chemistry of powder & explosives”, “incendiaries”, and a work called Improvised Munitions Handbook. The handbook included detailed instructions on constructing a pipe pistol using parts available in DIY stores.
Receipted items also included Ich Kampfe, an illustrated handbook issued to members of the Nazi party in 1942.
Related: Jo Cox suspect bought gun manuals from US neo-Nazis, group claims
11.02am BST
11:02
Matthew Weaver
MPs have signalled they won’t be intimidated by the murder of Jo Cox by going ahead with constituency surgeries.
Labour and Conservative politicians have been advised to talk to local police forces about the security measures they have in place for meetings with the public.
Emails from the whips’ offices of both parties were sent out in the hours after Cox was killed. Since then several MPs have defiantly announced they will be holding Friday surgeries.
This morning I will be at Dartmouth Academy meeting students then at 2pm at Dartmouth Guildhall for an open meeting, everyone welcome
PA has more:
Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, said: “I know MPs are scared. We’ll be reviewing our security, but I’ll walk through Barnsley today like every Friday.”
Jonathan Reynolds, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, said: “I plan to keep to all my engagements today, including my surgery. I will ensure there is security present however.”
The SNP MP Joanna Cherry said she would be holding a two-hour constituency surgery.
Holly Lynch, Labour MP for Halifax, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “I think you do have to bear in mind the safety of your staff at all times as well, who are quite often with you when you’re meeting members of the public, and so you cannot avoid taking these risks and concerns very, very seriously, but to not let it stop you from being the effective MP that your constituents deserve.”
The Labour former minister Yvette Cooper told the programme: “All of us will tell you it’s so important for MPs to be embedded in the community that we represent.
“If you go down to Asda and someone stops you to tell you about a problem with their neighbour or the fact their mum’s back garden is flooded, you write the details down on the back of a till receipt or something like that.
“That kind of daily discussion you have in the constituency is so incredibly important and no one would ever want to put that at risk.”
Rachel Reeves, Labour MP for Leeds West, said her constituency office was temporarily closed.
She told the BBC: “We mustn’t let the actions of this man drive a wedge between MPs and the people we were elected to serve.
“The work of an MP in our surgeries, our work in the community, must continue but I think it’s right today that as well as ceasing the campaigning in the referendum that we close our office.”
Katie Pruszynski, a former assistant to the Norwich North MP Chloe Smith, said MPs were “lightning rods for people who are angry and frustrated” and someone had once threatened to eat her “like a wolf”.
She told the Yorkshire Post:
“MPs are so public-facing and not infrequently you would get someone desperately upset and and emotional and that can extend into being threatening and abusive and sometimes there are people who are quite disturbed.
“I remember being screamed at by someone clearly quite disturbed that they would find me and eat me like a wolf.”
Updated
at 11.13am BST
11.00am BST
11:00
Flags have been flying at half mast over public buildings in honour of Jo Cox.
Updated
at 11.09am BST
10.53am BST10.53am BST
10:5310:53
One of the best tributes to Jo Cox published today is this one, in the Yorkshire Post, by Kate Proctor, who knew her well.One of the best tributes to Jo Cox published today is this one, in the Yorkshire Post, by Kate Proctor, who knew her well.
10.47am BST10.47am BST
10:4710:47
Shapps says Tories should not put up a candidate in byelection following Cox's deathShapps says Tories should not put up a candidate in byelection following Cox's death
The Conservative MP Grant Shapps, a former party co-chairman, has suggested that the Tories give Labour a free run in the byelection that will take place following the death of Jo Cox as a mark of respect.The Conservative MP Grant Shapps, a former party co-chairman, has suggested that the Tories give Labour a free run in the byelection that will take place following the death of Jo Cox as a mark of respect.
I hope that in the sad by-election to follow, Jo Cox's constituency is left uncontested as a tribute to Jo's extraordinary public serviceI hope that in the sad by-election to follow, Jo Cox's constituency is left uncontested as a tribute to Jo's extraordinary public service
There is some precedent for a major party not putting up a candidate in a byelection. When the Tory MP David Davis resigned to fight a byelection in 2008 to protest about Labour’s plans to extend the amount of time terror suspects could be held without charge, Labour did not oppose him.There is some precedent for a major party not putting up a candidate in a byelection. When the Tory MP David Davis resigned to fight a byelection in 2008 to protest about Labour’s plans to extend the amount of time terror suspects could be held without charge, Labour did not oppose him.
But at the last byelection held following the killing of an MP, in Eastbourne, Ian Gow’s seat, in 1990, all the main parties did put up candidates. The argument was made that normal democratic politics should continue.But at the last byelection held following the killing of an MP, in Eastbourne, Ian Gow’s seat, in 1990, all the main parties did put up candidates. The argument was made that normal democratic politics should continue.
Cox had a majority of 6,057 in 2015. Her constituency, Batley and Spen, voted Tory in 1992, but it has been Labour since 1997.Cox had a majority of 6,057 in 2015. Her constituency, Batley and Spen, voted Tory in 1992, but it has been Labour since 1997.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.49am BSTat 10.49am BST
10.34am BST10.34am BST
10:3410:34
On the BBC News the Labour MP Anna Turley expressed some support for the idea of recalling parliament to allow MPs to pay tribute to Jo Cox. Turley said that she knew some MPs “want to come together to share that grief and, most importantly, our memories of Jo”.On the BBC News the Labour MP Anna Turley expressed some support for the idea of recalling parliament to allow MPs to pay tribute to Jo Cox. Turley said that she knew some MPs “want to come together to share that grief and, most importantly, our memories of Jo”.
The Commons is in recess until Monday week, after the EU referendum. At the moment there are no plans for a recall. Number 10’s view is that there should be a time for MPs to pay tribute, but that the timing (ie, whether it can wait until the Commons comes back on Monday 27 June) is a matter to be decided in consultation with Cox’s family.The Commons is in recess until Monday week, after the EU referendum. At the moment there are no plans for a recall. Number 10’s view is that there should be a time for MPs to pay tribute, but that the timing (ie, whether it can wait until the Commons comes back on Monday 27 June) is a matter to be decided in consultation with Cox’s family.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.47am BSTat 10.47am BST
10.20am BST10.20am BST
10:2010:20
The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has posted a message on Twitter expressing his shock at what happened to Jo Cox.The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has posted a message on Twitter expressing his shock at what happened to Jo Cox.
Profondément choqué par le meurtre hier de Jo Cox, dans ce qui n'est rien d'autre qu'une atteinte intolérable contre la démocratie.Profondément choqué par le meurtre hier de Jo Cox, dans ce qui n'est rien d'autre qu'une atteinte intolérable contre la démocratie.
This translates as:This translates as:
Deeply shocked by the murder yesterday of Jo Cox, in what is nothing other than an intolerable affront against democracy.Deeply shocked by the murder yesterday of Jo Cox, in what is nothing other than an intolerable affront against democracy.
10.14am BST10.14am BST
10:1410:14
The Russian embassy has posted a message on Twitter saying it is appalled by the killing of Jo Cox.The Russian embassy has posted a message on Twitter saying it is appalled by the killing of Jo Cox.
Appalled by murder of Jo Cox. Nothing could symbolize more democracy as antithesis to violence. #jocoxMP pic.twitter.com/r8BONCdTQLAppalled by murder of Jo Cox. Nothing could symbolize more democracy as antithesis to violence. #jocoxMP pic.twitter.com/r8BONCdTQL
10.01am BST10.01am BST
10:0110:01
The death of Jo Cox was raised in the Canadian parliament yesterday. Nathan Cullen, a Canadian MP who met her when they were both engaged in humanitarian work abroad and who was a friend, paid an emotional tribute to her. By the end he appeared to be in tears, and fellow MPs gave him a standing ovation. He told colleagues:The death of Jo Cox was raised in the Canadian parliament yesterday. Nathan Cullen, a Canadian MP who met her when they were both engaged in humanitarian work abroad and who was a friend, paid an emotional tribute to her. By the end he appeared to be in tears, and fellow MPs gave him a standing ovation. He told colleagues:
Mr Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of Jo Cox, a mom of two beautiful children, a friend, a dedicated Labour MP, and a long advocate of human rights in Britain and around the world, who was murdered today. She dedicated her passion to those who needed it most, and she harnessed her limitless love, even and especially for those who allowed hate to consume them.Mr Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of Jo Cox, a mom of two beautiful children, a friend, a dedicated Labour MP, and a long advocate of human rights in Britain and around the world, who was murdered today. She dedicated her passion to those who needed it most, and she harnessed her limitless love, even and especially for those who allowed hate to consume them.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.04am BSTat 10.04am BST
9.45am BST9.45am BST
09:4509:45
Matthew WeaverMatthew Weaver
Police were considering giving Jo Cox extra security protection after she was subjected to three months of abusive messages, according to the Times.Police were considering giving Jo Cox extra security protection after she was subjected to three months of abusive messages, according to the Times.
There is no known link between the messages and yesterday’s attack, the paper pointed out.There is no known link between the messages and yesterday’s attack, the paper pointed out.
It said additional security was being considered at her constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, where the attack took place, as well as at her houseboat in London.It said additional security was being considered at her constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, where the attack took place, as well as at her houseboat in London.
Separately, Devon and Cornwall police said a 37-year-old man was being held in custody over an abusive phone call made to the office of the Labour MP Ben Bradshaw.Separately, Devon and Cornwall police said a 37-year-old man was being held in custody over an abusive phone call made to the office of the Labour MP Ben Bradshaw.
A statement from the force said: “An abusive phone call to MP Ben Bradshaw was recorded on his office answering machine. The office contacted parliamentary police and Devon and Cornwall police.A statement from the force said: “An abusive phone call to MP Ben Bradshaw was recorded on his office answering machine. The office contacted parliamentary police and Devon and Cornwall police.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.00am BSTat 10.00am BST
9.44am BST9.44am BST
09:4409:44
Gabrielle Giffords, who was a congresswoman when she was shot in the head in 2011, has been using Twitter to express her horror at the killing of Jo Cox.Gabrielle Giffords, who was a congresswoman when she was shot in the head in 2011, has been using Twitter to express her horror at the killing of Jo Cox.
Absolutely sickened to hear of the assassination of Jo Cox. She was young, courageous, and hardworking. A rising star, mother, and wife.Absolutely sickened to hear of the assassination of Jo Cox. She was young, courageous, and hardworking. A rising star, mother, and wife.
The assassination of MP Jo Cox at the hands of a man driven by hatred is a manifestation of a coarseness in our politics that must stop.The assassination of MP Jo Cox at the hands of a man driven by hatred is a manifestation of a coarseness in our politics that must stop.
The scores of events that I and so many others like Jo Cox have hosted represent the importance of a democracy connected to its citizens.The scores of events that I and so many others like Jo Cox have hosted represent the importance of a democracy connected to its citizens.
I grieve for Jo Cox’s family, friends, constituents, and for the people of Great Britain.I grieve for Jo Cox’s family, friends, constituents, and for the people of Great Britain.
UpdatedUpdated
at 9.46am BSTat 9.46am BST
9.38am BST
09:38
At Westminster people have been leaving flowers in memory of Jo Cox at Parliament Square.
9.24am BST
09:24
The Times’s Matt Chorley has written a good tribute to Jo Cox in his Red Box morning political briefing email. Here’s an extract.
MPs are forever being told: “You just don’t get it, do you?” In fact most do get it. They get it because they hear about it every week in quiet halls and libraries like the one Jo left yesterday lunchtime before being so brutally struck down.
They get it because they listen in their constituency surgeries to the cries of help from those who have nowhere left to turn. They get it because every day they struggle against the national unfairnesses and local bureaucracies that we each encounter just fleetingly. They miss their own families’ lives being played out to attend never-ending meetings about other people’s.
It is one of the great quirks of British politics that from the prime minister down our elected politicians make themselves available to their constituents openly and warmly. We now know what a risk that can be. It has since emerged that Jo had faced months of abuse and police were poised to put extra security in place. Other MPs are fearful for their safety. One of the foundations of our democracy will inevitably be chipped away.
It’s true that some MPs could earn more money elsewhere. They could all have an easier life. But they put up with it all because they think it is the right thing to do, because they want to change the world.
Updated
at 9.27am BST
9.06am BST
09:06
Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader, sounded close to tears as he paid tribute to Jo Cox on BBC News this morning. Cox used to work for his wife Glenys when she was an MEP. You can watch it here.
Here’s an excerpt.
We’ve known Jo since she came to work for Glenys in the European parliament 20 years ago, and it would be no exaggeration to say that both of us felt about her as if she was a beloved niece, because that’s the kind of relationship it was.
She was a woman of huge intelligence, sparkling. She was merry, she had a marvellous sense of dedicated purpose without any kind of piety or pomposity at all. She was wonderful company but she was also a ferociously effective political activist and she showed that before she became a member of parliament and we were hugely proud when she was selected and then elected. We both went up to speak for her and it was obvious then that the community had taken Jo to its heart – just like everybody else did. You’ve spoken to people from across the political spectrum and you don’t produce testimonies like that unless you are quite extraordinary and she certainly was …
It’s a death in the family, there’s no doubt at all about that – our family, the Labour family, the family of Batley and Spen – because that’s the kind of feeling, the response that she nourished. There’s a phrase from Shelley, ‘a day-star of the age’ and Jo Cox was a day-star.
Updated
at 9.07am BST
8.54am BST
08:54
Andrew Sparrow
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Claire. I will be blogging today with my colleague Matthew Weaver.
We’ve already mentioned the result of the Tooting byelection, but here, for the record, are the results in full.
Rosena Allin-Khan (Lab) 17,894 (55.92%, up 8.73%) Dan Watkins (C) 11,537 (36.05%, down 5.83%) Esther Obiri-Darko (Green) 830 (2.59%, down 1.52%) Alex Glassbrook (LD) 820 (2.56%, down 1.37%) Elizabeth Jones (UKIP) 507 (1.58%, down 1.29%) Des Coke (CPA) 164 (0.51%) Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 54 (0.17%) Graham Moore (Eng Dem) 50 (0.16%) Akbar Ali Malik (Immigrants) 44 (0.14%) Ankit Love (Love) 32 (0.10%) Zirwa Javaid (Ind) 30 (0.09%) Zia Samadani (Ind) 23 (0.07%) Bobby Smith (GMBE) 9 (0.03%) Smiley Smillie (Ind) 5 (0.02%)
Lab maj 6,357 (19.87%)
7.28% swing C to Lab
Electorate 74,695; Turnout 31,999 (42.84%, -26.88%)
Updated
at 8.59am BST
8.45am BST
08:45
What we know so far
Claire Phipps
Here is what we now know, with all political campaigning suspended in the wake of the violent death of Jo Cox yesterday.
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.
It is cruel and terrible that her life was cut short by a violent act of political intolerance … This is how we must honour Jo Cox – by rejecting bigotry in all its forms, and instead embracing, as she always did, everything that binds us together.
The referendum is a great exercise in democracy. But the campaign has been suspended, on both sides, out of respect for Jo and her family – and for that democracy that she served.
One of the virtues of our parliamentary democracy is the everyday accessibility of MPs to the people they represent. It’s what makes the way we govern ourselves very different from many others. We believe in freedom, liberty and justice … Today’s horrible events are an assault on all of these values.
Jo’s death reminds us that our democracy is precious but fragile – we must never forget to cherish it.
Updated
at 8.48am BST
8.36am BST
08:36
At the close of the Today programme discussion, Cooper and Lynch were asked about the tone of political discourse.
Lynch said she would welcome a more “respectful approach”:
We’ve all been a bit taken aback by the nature and the tone of this referendum … We’ve all had to get used to that … this is the nature of politics.
Cooper said she felt the mood had changed:
There has been an increase in vitriol in public debate … that’s never healthy.
Disagreements are essential but there’s a feeling that there is more nastiness … The thing about Jo is that she would always have stood against that.
Updated
at 8.38am BST
8.34am BST
08:34
Both MPs said it was crucial that MPs did not become cut off from the communities they serve, after reports that Labour colleague Rachel Reeves has closed her constituency office today over security concerns.
Lynch told the BBC:
As many of my colleagues have said, to be a good MP you have to be rooted in your constituency, you have to be as available as possible … It’s incredibly difficult to then think about what the future looks like, how to manage those safety risks but also be effective.
Cooper agreed:
It’s so important for MPs to be embedded in the community you represent … that kind of daily discussion you have is so incredible important.
[But] you also want to make sure your staff are properly protected.
She said most encounters with constituents were warm, but tragedies such as yesterday’s “hit the headlines and break everyone’s heart”.
8.31am BST
08:31
Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Holly Lynch have been speaking on the Today programme:
Cooper described Jo Cox “as somebody who saw life and shook it up”:
It is unbearable to feel she has had hers stolen away. Most of us are struggling to process it …
She never opted for the easy path, she would walk towards problems rather than walk away from them.
Cooper singled out Cox’s work to assist refugees:
She seized on a challenge and we all encouraged her to do that …
She was brilliant, seized on things, was a fierce advocate for the things she believed in, but also for her family … She never stopped doing both and doing both brilliantly. She was a fantastic mum as well as an amazing politician.
Lynch – who, like Cox, became an MP in the election last year – remembered:
Coming into Westminster, it is a funny place to get your head wrapped around – she always seemed to have a clarity.
She was able to use her personality and her experience to build support right across the chamber.
Updated
at 8.35am BST
8.08am BST
08:08
In Birstall this morning, the site where Jo Cox was attacked, close to the library where she held her regular surgery for constituents, remains under police investigation.
7.55am BST
07:55
In the wake of the killing of Jo Cox, and widespread revulsion at the fact she was attacked as she worked in her constituency, #ThankYourMP has popped up on Twitter, with voters taking the time to acknowledge the work that MPs do.
It’s a useful reminder that there is a lot of slog and long hours often going on behind the public face of Westminster.
Here is a (fairly randomly picked) selection:
@JacobReesMogg our politics could not be more different. Yet you have listened, and helped our autistic boys more than once #thankyourMP
Thank you @MaryCreaghMP for all the hard work you do in my area. You make a difference. You are appreciated.#ThankYourMP
Thank you for working for so many years as our MP @AdamAfriyie #ThankYourMP
I disagree with @GiselaStuart on the EU Ref, but I also know how great she is for her local constituents and always has been #ThankYourMP
Thank you @stellacreasy for your fight against legal loan sharks, your feminism (& your love of indie music) #thankyourmp
Very humbling & touching 2 receive messages of support via #ThankYourMP its privilege & pleasure 2 serve people of Rutherglen & HamiltonWest