Jo Cox

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Helen Joanne "Jo" Cox (* 22. June 1974 in Batley , West Yorkshire as Helen Joanne Leadbeater;16th June 2016 in Leeds ) was a British politician of the Labor Party . From 2015 until her assassination, she was a MP in the House of Commons , where she represented the constituency of Batley and Spen .

Life

Jo Cox (nee Leadbeater ) was born in 1974 as the eldest daughter of Gordon Leadbeater and his wife Jean. She grew up with her younger sister Kim in Heckmondwike , West Yorkshire . The father worked in Leeds, about 15 km away, in a factory that produced toothpaste and hairspray, the mother as a school secretary. Cox attended the Grammar School in Heckmondwike and then studied from 1992 at the University of Cambridge ( Pembroke College ), initially archeology and anthropology , but then switched to sociology and political science .

Studying and staying in Cambridge meant a complete break with her previous life:

“I never really grew up being political or Labor. It kind of came at Cambridge where it was just a realization that where you were born mattered. That how you spoke mattered […] who you knew mattered. I didn't really speak right or knew the right people. I spent the summers packing toothpaste at a factory working where my dad worked and everyone else had gone on a gap year! To be honest my experience at Cambridge really knocked me for about five years. "

“I really didn't grow up particularly politicized or close to Labor. That only came in Cambridge, where I realized it mattered where you were born. That it mattered which words you could use to express yourself [...] and which people you knew. I wasn't really good at expressing myself, and I didn't know the right people either. I spent summers packing toothpaste in a factory where my dad worked while everyone else was taking a gap year ! To be honest, my experience in Cambridge really bogged me down for over five years. "

She graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1995.

After graduating from university, she worked as political advisor to Labor MP Joan Walley until 1997, led the Britain in Europe campaign in 1998/99 and was secretary and political advisor to Labor politician and Member of the European Parliament Glenys from 2000 to mid-2002 Kinnock active.

She then worked at Oxfam (2002–2009) as director of the Maternal Mortality Campaign (2009–2011), for Save the Children and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and was the founder and director of UK Women ( 2013-2014). She worked as a consultant to the Freedom Fund on Slavery (2014) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2014–2015). Cox was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2009 .

From 2010 to 2014 she was the chairwoman of the Labor Party's women's network. Her nomination as a candidate for parliament was based on a preselection for which only women were nominated. She first supported Jeremy Corbyn's candidacy for Labor leadership, but ultimately voted for Elizabeth Kendall .

She was married to Brendan Cox, an adviser to Gordon Brown during his reign, and had two children. The family lived in the constituency of Cox and in a houseboat in the Hermitage Community Moorings, a co-operative berth on the Thames in the London borough of Wapping near Tower Bridge .

attack

procedure

The Library and Information Center in Birstall , the site of the attack
Memorial to Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London

On June 16, 2016 Cox was ahead of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum - the referendum for a citizens' consultation in the Library and Information Center on Market Street in Birstall , West Yorkshire shot from a 52-year-old British and stabbed and thereby critically injured. According to eyewitness reports, the assassin called “Britain first” or “put Britain first” during his act. Britain First is also the name of a right-wing extremist party in Great Britain, which after the assassination rejected any guilt and connections between its party and the assassin.

At 1:48 pm, Jo Cox was pronounced dead at Leeds General Infirmary Hospital . After the attack, Brexit supporters and opponents suspended their campaigns until June 19. The Conservative Party , Liberal Democrats , UKIP and Green Party announced that they would not run any candidates in the upcoming by-election in the Batley and Spen constituency. The by-election took place on October 20, 2016, the Labor Party candidate Tracy Brabin won with 85.84% of the votes cast, and the turnout was 25.56%. The act was condemned by numerous domestic and foreign politicians, who called for a moderation of the political rhetoric and argument. Marine Le Pen , the chairman of the French Front National , declared on the day after Cox's death: "Disregarded by their subordinate elites, sometimes the lower classes resort to some form of violence." The statement was used as an understanding or justification of the Deed understood.

Jo Cox was the first member of the House of Commons to be a homicide victim in more than 25 years. The last victims were Conservative MPs Airey Neave and Ian Gow , who died in 1979 and 1990, respectively, as a result of the IRA car bomb explosion . In September 2018, a square in Brussels was named after Jo Cox.

Perpetrator

Two days after Cox was murdered, 52-year-old Thomas Mair was brought before the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for an initial hearing. When asked for his name, the defendant replied: "My name is Death to the Traitors, Freedom for Great Britain". Otherwise he was silent during the 15-minute hearing. The prosecution accused him of murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit a crime and possession of an assault weapon: “We have now charged a man with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offense and possession of an offensive weapon. "

Mair remained in custody. The judge ordered a psychological examination. According to the investigation so far, no other person was involved except the arrested person. The attack on Cox was apparently an "isolated but targeted attack," said West Yorkshire police .

Connections to the neo-Nazi scene

Shortly after the crime, there were indications that the alleged perpetrator was right-wing extremist. The US anti-racism organization Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors neo-Nazi groups in the US, among other things, presented receipts showing that the suspect had paid more than $ 620 to the former between 1999 and 2003 largest neo-Nazi organization in the United States, the National Alliance (NA) - mostly for publications from their publisher National Vanguard Books. He had subscribed to neo-Nazi magazines, bought instructions for making firearms and explosives (such as a book with instructions on how to build a .38-caliber pistol from household materials). British authorities are said to have found evidence in the 52-year-old's apartment that confirm this - including the publications that he is said to have ordered from NA at the time.

Mair was also a subscriber to SA Patriot , a South African magazine published by the White Rhino Club . The White Rhino Club , which advocates the re-establishment of apartheid , describes the magazine in an editorial as being "directed against multi-cultural societies and against an expansionist Islam". In a blog post in the magazine, Mair is described as "one of the earliest subscribers and supporters of SA Patriot".

Criminal trial

On November 14, 2016, the trial of Thomas Mair opened in front of the Old Bailey . At a previous hearing on the case, he had not given a statement as to whether he would plead guilty or innocent, and as a result, he was charged with murder, possession of a firearm with intent to commit a crime, possession of a dagger and grievous bodily harm in the trial accused a passerby. Since the process expected greater media interest, the jury was forbidden to deal with media reports on the case. Jurors closely linked to the charities Oxfam and Save the Children , which Jo Cox supported, were also excluded from the process.

Thomas Mair was found guilty of the murder of Jo Cox on November 23, 2016 and sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of early release on parole ( whole life order ) .

Honors

Place Jo Cox, Brussels

In honor of Jo Cox, a square in Brussels - Place Jo Cox - and a street in Kassel - Jo-Cox-Weg - were named after her.

Web links

Commons : Jo Cox  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Birgit Gärtner: Jo Cox: What nobody talks about. Telepolis , June 21, 2016, archived from the original on June 22, 2016 ; accessed on June 22, 2016 .
  2. a b c 'I've been in some horrific situations' - MP . The Yorkshire Post , December 26, 2015, accessed June 16, 2016.
  3. a b Martin Shaw: Women's campaigner Jo Cox chosen as Labor candidate to fight next General Election in Batley & Spen . The Huddersfield Daily Examiner, May 12, 2014.
  4. ^ Louise Tompkins: Jo Cox MP (1974-2016) . ( Memento June 23, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) University of Cambridge - Pembroke College, June 16, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
    Joe Robinson: Pembroke College 'deeply shocked and saddened' by death of alumna Jo Cox MP . Varsity, June 16, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
  5. Jo Cox: MP for Batley and Spen . ( Memento December 10, 2015 on the Internet Archive ) Labor Party website, accessed June 16, 2016.
  6. ^ Jo Cox obituary: Proud Yorkshire let who became local MP . BBC , June 16, 2016, accessed June 24, 2016.
  7. ^ Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: Parliament Jo Cox MP . UK - House of Lords, June 20, 2016, accessed June 24, 2016.
    Jo Cox . LinkedIn profile, accessed June 24, 2016.
  8. a b Julia Langdon: Jo Cox obituary . In: The Guardian , June 16, 2016, accessed June 17, 2016.
  9. Jo Cox: This is how her friends mourn the politician . Focus Online , June 17, 2016.
  10. Katja Demirci, Albrecht Meier, Moritz Honert, Sidney Gennies: Murder of Jo Cox: Great Britain and the silence afterwards. In: Der Tagesspiegel . June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016 .
  11. Murder of a politician: Cox had received threats before . faz.net , June 17, 2016.
  12. ^ Danny Boyle: Labor MP Jo Cox fights for life after being shot outside library near Leeds by attacker who allegedly shouted 'Britain First' as man, 52, is arrested . The Daily Telegraph , June 16, 2016.
  13. Jo Cox MP death: Eyewitness heard man shouting . BBC , June 16, 2016.
  14. Britain First official statement over Jo Cox Shooting
  15. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36550304
  16. ^ "Brexit" campaigns interrupted: politician was "Brexit" opponent. ORF.at , June 16, 2016, accessed on June 17, 2016 .
  17. EU referendum campaigns suspended until Sunday after Jo Cox attack. BBC, June 17, 2016, accessed July 26, 2016 .
  18. EU referendum: Campaigns resume with new warning BBC News, June 19, 2016.
  19. Jon Stone: Jo Cox death: Parties stand down in killed Labor MP's seat as Corbyn and Cameron call for unity. The Independent , June 17, 2016, accessed June 18, 2016 . Kate Proctor: Major parties will not contest Jo Cox's seat. Yorkshire Post, June 17, 2016, accessed June 18, 2016 .
  20. ^ Witney by election: Tory majority slashed in David Cameron's former seat. BBC News , October 21, 2016, accessed October 21, 2016 .
  21. Original quote: "Méprisées par leurs élites inféodées à Bruxelles, les classes populaires ont parfois recours elles aussi à une forme de violence." Etienne Baldit: Meurtre de Jo Cox: la ministre Laurence Rossignol fustige la "complaisante compréhension la Marine Le Pen envers violence " Europe 1, le Lab politique, June 18, 2016; James Lyon: Far-right hijacks murder of British MP Jo Cox In: The Australian (Online), June 19, 2016.
  22. ^ John Rentoul: Jo Cox dead: A history of violence against MPs. The Independent , June 16, 2016, accessed June 16, 2016 .
  23. ^ Eddy Wax: Jo Cox: Brussels square named after murdered UK MP. BBC News , September 27, 2018, accessed September 27, 2018 .
  24. Claire Phipps, Andrew Sparrow, Matthew Weaver, Nadia Khomami, Kevin Rawlinson: Police charge Thomas Mair with murder of Jo Cox - as it happened . The Guardian , June 17, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
    Cox attacker in court: "My name is: Death to the traitors, freedom for Great Britain". dpa article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , June 18, 2016, accessed on June 23, 2016.
  25. Great Britain: Bizarre appearance of the alleged Cox killer . Zeit Online , June 18, 2016, accessed on June 23, 2016.
    Murder of politician Jo Cox: perpetrator allegedly donated to neo-Nazis . Spiegel Online , June 17, 2016, accessed on June 23, 2016.
    Death of Jo Cox: Investigators bring murder charges against suspects . Spiegel Online, June 18, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
  26. a b Alleged murderer of Jo Cox: "My name is: Death to the traitors" . Spiegel Online, June 18, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
  27. ^ Alleged killer of British MP was a longtime supporter of the neo-Nazi National Alliance . Southern Poverty Law Center , June 16, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
    Marc Pitzke: The Murder of Jo Cox: The Trail to the United States . Spiegel Online, June 18, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
  28. Patrick Foster, Robert Mendick, Michael Wilkinson: Thomas Mair: Man arrested in connection with Jo Cox attack was a 'loner' with 'history of mental health problems'. The Daily Telegraph , June 16, 2016, accessed June 23, 2016.
  29. Ian Cobain: Jo Cox killed in 'brutal, cowardly' and politically motivated murder, trial hears in: The Guardian, November 14, 2016, accessed November 15, 2016
  30. 'Terrorist' Thomas Mair found guilty of Jo Cox murder theguardian.com, accessed on November 23, 2016