U.K’s European Union referendum campaign has been halted just a week before voting was to take place, because of the shocking stabbing of a rising Britain Parliamentarian, Jo Cox, on Thursday.
The nation is shocked by the sudden hyper-violent attack that killed 41 year old Jo Cox, a well respected “member of the center-left Labour Party”. The respected lady member of the party followed humanitarian activities religiously and had voiced her thoughts for refugees and Syrian civilians. The act is inexplicable and according to the Police Officials of West Yorkshire, Cox was dead before 2 P.M.
An hour before she had been pronounced dead she had been attacked in Birstall, a town near Leeds, outside a library. The only suspect who has been apprehended in the assault is a 52 year old man, Tommy Mair, a local resident who is said to have no “obvious motive”. Witnesses also revealed that Cox had been targeted by a gun and a knife. Even after Cox had fallen to the ground, bleeding profusely, people stated that the assailant continued to stab and kick her.
The man had been heard shouting “Britain first!”, stated the witnesses, both during and after the assault. Though, said to be of an obsessive nature, Mair’s neighbors were shocked by his arrest as they claimed that he was a devoted son who had never expressed any strong political view. The attackers photo had been broadcast by the BBC immediately after the arrest.
The far-right group “Britain first” is famous for staging anti-Muslim demonstrations. After the attack on Cox, the organization had given a statement refusing its involvement and had stated it “would never encourage behavior of this sort.” The attack has shaken the political world of Britain.
According to Prime Minister David Cameron, “We’ve lost a great star, she had a huge heart. She was a very compassionate, campaigning MP. She was a bright star, no doubt about it – a star for her constituents, a star for Parliament, and a star right across the House, and we have lost a star.”
Former Prime minister, Gordon Brown, also wrote a statement describing the attack as “a devastating blow to our democracy. Sarah and I were privileged to work with Jo and her husband Brendan over many years and in her tireless efforts on behalf of poor and desolate children and mothers. She went to some of the most dangerous places in the world. The last place she should have been in danger was in her home town.”
