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| Jo Cox murder suspect tells court his name is 'death to traitors, freedom for Britain' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thomas Mair has given his name as “death to traitors, freedom for Britain” as he appeared in court charged with the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox. | Thomas Mair has given his name as “death to traitors, freedom for Britain” as he appeared in court charged with the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox. |
| Mair, 52, from Birstall, was charged on Friday with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon, West Yorkshire police said in a statement. | Mair, 52, from Birstall, was charged on Friday with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon, West Yorkshire police said in a statement. |
| Asked at Westminster magistrates court on Saturday to confirm his name, Mair said: “My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain.” The judge then asked the defendant’s lawyers to confirm that his name was Thomas Mair, which they did. | |
| Cox was killed on Thursday lunchtime outside Birstall public library, where she had been running a constituency surgery. The 41-year-old MP for Batley and Spen was declared dead at 1.48pm after being shot several times and stabbed. | Cox was killed on Thursday lunchtime outside Birstall public library, where she had been running a constituency surgery. The 41-year-old MP for Batley and Spen was declared dead at 1.48pm after being shot several times and stabbed. |
| It is understood the special crimes and counter-terrorism unit at the Crown Prosecution Service was involved in considering what charges should be brought against Mair. The unit, led by Sue Hemmings, had been talking to detectives investigating the case, and the North East counter-terrorism unit had assisted police in their inquiries. | |
| Other developments include: | Other developments include: |
| • Tributes are being paid to Cox from across the political spectrum, led by the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who said the MP had been killed by a “well of hatred”, and the prime minister, David Cameron, who insisted society must redouble its efforts to embrace the values of tolerance and community that the late MP triumphed. | • Tributes are being paid to Cox from across the political spectrum, led by the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who said the MP had been killed by a “well of hatred”, and the prime minister, David Cameron, who insisted society must redouble its efforts to embrace the values of tolerance and community that the late MP triumphed. |
| • Parliament will be recalled on Monday to pay tribute, while vigils were held in Cox’s constituency and around the country on Friday. The EU referendum campaign was expected to be paused for a second day, with both sides agreeing not to hold events until Sunday at the earliest. | • Parliament will be recalled on Monday to pay tribute, while vigils were held in Cox’s constituency and around the country on Friday. The EU referendum campaign was expected to be paused for a second day, with both sides agreeing not to hold events until Sunday at the earliest. |
| • An appeal in Cox’s name has raised more than £260,000 in less than 24 hours to support charities working to counter loneliness, challenge extremism, and fund search and rescue workers in Syria. The Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Ukip all said they would not contest Cox’s vacant seat of Batley and Spen at a byelection. | • An appeal in Cox’s name has raised more than £260,000 in less than 24 hours to support charities working to counter loneliness, challenge extremism, and fund search and rescue workers in Syria. The Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Ukip all said they would not contest Cox’s vacant seat of Batley and Spen at a byelection. |
| • The US president, Barack Obama, phoned the late MP’s widower, Brendan, from Air Force One to offer his condolences. According to a White House spokesperson, Obama said: “The world is a better place because of her selfless service to others, and there can be no justification for this heinous crime, which robbed a family, a community, and a nation of a dedicated wife, mother and public servant.” | • The US president, Barack Obama, phoned the late MP’s widower, Brendan, from Air Force One to offer his condolences. According to a White House spokesperson, Obama said: “The world is a better place because of her selfless service to others, and there can be no justification for this heinous crime, which robbed a family, a community, and a nation of a dedicated wife, mother and public servant.” |
| On Friday, Corbyn and Cameron delivered tributes to Cox at the Joseph Priestley memorial in Birstall, close to where she was attacked. The Labour leader said: “She was taken from us in an act of hatred, in a vile act that has killed her. What happened yesterday is an attack on democracy.” | On Friday, Corbyn and Cameron delivered tributes to Cox at the Joseph Priestley memorial in Birstall, close to where she was attacked. The Labour leader said: “She was taken from us in an act of hatred, in a vile act that has killed her. What happened yesterday is an attack on democracy.” |
| He later said “those who peddle hatred, terror and division” must be stopped from poisoning the UK’s national and political life. | He later said “those who peddle hatred, terror and division” must be stopped from poisoning the UK’s national and political life. |
| The prime minister said the nation was shocked at the death of one of parliament’s “most passionate and brilliant campaigners”. He said it was time for the UK to think about the need to “treasure and value our democracy”. | The prime minister said the nation was shocked at the death of one of parliament’s “most passionate and brilliant campaigners”. He said it was time for the UK to think about the need to “treasure and value our democracy”. |
| Flags were lowered to half mast at Buckingham Palace, the Palaces of Westminster and Holyroodhouse as a mark of respect. | Flags were lowered to half mast at Buckingham Palace, the Palaces of Westminster and Holyroodhouse as a mark of respect. |
| Doreen Lawrence, the Labour peer whose son Stephen was killed in 1993, said there were no words that could express what it feels like to have a young person whose “life is still full of possibility, brutally snatched away from you”. Writing in the Guardian, she said the hopes and dreams of Cox’s family had been “shredded in one foul afternoon”. | Doreen Lawrence, the Labour peer whose son Stephen was killed in 1993, said there were no words that could express what it feels like to have a young person whose “life is still full of possibility, brutally snatched away from you”. Writing in the Guardian, she said the hopes and dreams of Cox’s family had been “shredded in one foul afternoon”. |
| Lady Lawrence warned that a message of hatred against foreigners or people with different religions had been getting louder in the UK and US, citing the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. She criticised comments by Boris Johnson about Obama’s ancestry and said a poster unveiled by Nigel Farage on Thursday was reminiscent of Nazi propaganda. | Lady Lawrence warned that a message of hatred against foreigners or people with different religions had been getting louder in the UK and US, citing the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. She criticised comments by Boris Johnson about Obama’s ancestry and said a poster unveiled by Nigel Farage on Thursday was reminiscent of Nazi propaganda. |
| The Vote Leave campaign has cancelled events, including a rally in Birmingham where Johnson was due to speak, while Britain Stronger In Europe said it was scrapping more than 2,000 events, including street stalls and a speech by Corbyn in Manchester. When the campaign did resume, it was unlikely to be fought at the same intensity as before, sources said. | The Vote Leave campaign has cancelled events, including a rally in Birmingham where Johnson was due to speak, while Britain Stronger In Europe said it was scrapping more than 2,000 events, including street stalls and a speech by Corbyn in Manchester. When the campaign did resume, it was unlikely to be fought at the same intensity as before, sources said. |
| In the light of the killing, some politicians have questioned the tone of the referendum debate. Writing in the Guardian, Gordon Brown said: “Unless we strive for a culture of respect to replace a culture which does too little to challenge prejudice, we will be learning nothing from what happened to Jo.” | In the light of the killing, some politicians have questioned the tone of the referendum debate. Writing in the Guardian, Gordon Brown said: “Unless we strive for a culture of respect to replace a culture which does too little to challenge prejudice, we will be learning nothing from what happened to Jo.” |