On June 16, 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered in the street while meeting constituents in Batley & Spen. Nearly a decade later, the anniversary is marked by continued division and violence across the UK.
A decade of broken promises
Sir Keir Starmer, elected alongside Cox, hosted a Great Get Together in Downing Street. Olivia Field, CEO of the Jo Cox Foundation, said: 'We're reflecting on promises made 10 years ago. Jo's murder shocked the nation, but people came together briefly. Now, division feels deeper than ever.'
One week after Cox's death, the UK voted for Brexit, setting off years of political acrimony. In 2021, MP Sir David Amess was killed by an Isis sympathizer. Field added: 'Many of us promised to address division, but we haven't kept those promises.'
Recent violence
The lead-up to the anniversary has seen riots in Southampton after Henry Nowak's killer was sentenced, and in Belfast after a knife attack. Both were fueled by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson).
Yet, families of victims urge unity. Nowak's family said: 'They have friends across faith and race. Henry's memory should bring society together.' The family of Belfast victim Stephen Ogilvie stated: 'Migrants make valuable contributions. We don't want this tragedy to divide people.'
As Jo Cox said in 2015: 'We have more in common than that which divides us.'
