MPs around the world sign pledge to uphold legacy of Jo Cox

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/21/mps-around-world-sign-pledge-uphold-legacy-jo-cox

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Almost 1,500 parliamentarians have signed a pledge to uphold the legacy of love and tolerance left by Jo Cox, the Labour MP killed last week.

MPs from 40 countries from Australia to Zimbabwe put their names to a statement on what would have been the eve of Cox’s 42nd birthday.

From the UK, the signatories include Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, the former London mayor, and his successor, Sadiq Khan.

The group calls on leaders worldwide to heed the message from Cox’s maiden speech that “we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us” and asks them to commit to using her killing as a turning point to create more compassionate societies that focus on those at the margins.

“Every elected representative should reflect on those words this week. Let this be a turning point for us all,” the joint statement says.

“Beyond politics and parties, we must as societies stand together to stem the poisonous rising tide of fear and hate that breeds division and extremism. We must follow Jo’s example to open our arms with love to our communities, our neighbours and those less fortunate than ourselves, and to celebrate our tolerance and diversity.

“Jo was a lifelong campaigner against injustice. She entered parliament because she wanted to be in the engine room of change, to steer a course toward a better future. Today we say: we will keep our hands on the wheel. We will do whatever it takes to renew our bonds and fight for those at the margins of our society, our continent and the world.”

The statement coincides with a series of events under the #moreincommon hashtag and banner, at which people will gather to celebrate the MP and former aid worker’s life.

A series of rallies will be held on Wednesday anchored in Trafalgar Square in London but mirrored across the world, from her constituency of Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire to Aleppo and Darayya in Syria.

There will be a theme around taking on the politics of hate, but Cox’s husband, Brendan, is keen that the events do not focus on a single issue, including the EU referendum.

Separately, a memorial fund has passed £1m after launching online three days ago.

The sum, which was reached following donations by more than 30,000 people from around the world, was described as “overwhelming” by those involved.

Friends of the Labour MP set up the fund on the day after her death, in collaboration with her family and her husband to raise funds for causes that were close to her heart.

The web page lists them as the Royal Voluntary Service, which supports volunteers helping to combat loneliness in Cox’s Batley and Spen constituency, the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate and the White Helmets, a volunteer search and rescue organisation in Syria.