:00:12. > :00:21.Welcome back. We continue to broadcast from the small market town
:00:22. > :00:24.of Birstall, not far from Leeds in the North of England. Today began
:00:25. > :00:29.with the latest instalment in a fierce at all between two sides of
:00:30. > :00:35.the UK's referendum on EU membership. It has ended in unified
:00:36. > :00:41.grief across the political spectrum. The local member of Parliament for
:00:42. > :00:46.this part of England, Jo Cox, was stabbed and shot in the street just
:00:47. > :00:59.buying the. She died later from her injuries. A man was arrested.
:01:00. > :01:04.Weapons have been recovered. 52-year-old man has been arrested at
:01:05. > :01:12.the scene. A witness told the BBC they heard him shout put Britain
:01:13. > :01:20.first before the attack began. This picture of Jo Cox was posted on
:01:21. > :01:26.Twitter by her husband Brendan. Tributes have come from across the
:01:27. > :01:31.country. We have lost a great star. She was a great campaigning MP with
:01:32. > :01:39.huge compassion and a big heart. People are going to be very sad at
:01:40. > :01:45.what have happened. Dreadful news. Both campaigns have suspended
:01:46. > :02:01.activities in response to Jo Cox's death.
:02:02. > :02:10.You will sometimes hear criticism of politicians being career
:02:11. > :02:20.politicians, people are never held another job. That certainly was not
:02:21. > :02:30.the case with Jo Cox. She was head of Department the Oxfam. As we have
:02:31. > :02:34.been hearing, today she had planned to hold a surgery, a chance to meet
:02:35. > :02:38.her constituents, not just the ones who voted for her but any the Met
:02:39. > :02:47.have concerns about what was happening in this country or in this
:02:48. > :02:52.constituency. Many people said it was evidence of her commitment to
:02:53. > :02:53.succeed in politics the right way. Carole Walker looks at her
:02:54. > :03:00.achievements. Jo Cox was one of 53 Labour MPs
:03:01. > :03:03.newly elected in 2015. And she swiftly made
:03:04. > :03:05.a name for herself as a rising star, hugely popular, friends
:03:06. > :03:08.and colleagues of all parties were shocked and deeply saddened
:03:09. > :03:10.at the news of her death. Tonight, the Prime Minister
:03:11. > :03:13.led the tributes. This is absolutely
:03:14. > :03:15.tragic and dreadful news and my thoughts
:03:16. > :03:17.are with Jo's husband Brendan
:03:18. > :03:19.and the two children She was a great
:03:20. > :03:27.campaigning MP with huge compassion, a big heart,
:03:28. > :03:34.and people are going to be very, very sad
:03:35. > :03:36.at what has happened. It is just over a year
:03:37. > :03:40.since Jo Cox was sworn in as MP Born and raised locally,
:03:41. > :03:45.she had studied at Cambridge and was the first in her
:03:46. > :03:49.family to graduate from university. Before she entered Parliament, Jo
:03:50. > :03:52.Cox was a passionate charity worker, who had spent a decade in a variety
:03:53. > :03:55.of roles with the aid agency Oxfam and at Westminster she continued
:03:56. > :03:58.to campaign on international This is somebody who
:03:59. > :04:10.had spent her whole career not in a bubble somewhere,
:04:11. > :04:14.but really out in the field, working for Oxfam, of course, and absolutely
:04:15. > :04:17.understanding how things work out there in the real world and I share
:04:18. > :04:20.an office with Jo and, well, Parliament will be
:04:21. > :04:22.a much poorer place. She described herself
:04:23. > :04:33.as a proud Yorkshire lass. In London, she lived
:04:34. > :04:37.with her husband and children I am hoping I will be
:04:38. > :04:41.zipping down to the House of Commons,
:04:42. > :04:42.which is about half an hour from where
:04:43. > :04:45.I live on the boat. From the outset, her honesty
:04:46. > :04:47.and determination won her I have decided I'm going
:04:48. > :04:52.to approach being a member of Parliament with a decent and healthy
:04:53. > :04:55.sense of cynicism and humour. It is an amazing building,
:04:56. > :04:58.I am not going to let it Can the Prime Minister tell
:04:59. > :05:03.the house whether he thinks he has led public opinion on the refugee
:05:04. > :05:08.crisis or followed it? Away from Westminster,
:05:09. > :05:09.constituency surgeries and open meetings are an essential
:05:10. > :05:14.part of the work of MPs. Though referendum
:05:15. > :05:16.campaigning was suspended today as a mark of respect,
:05:17. > :05:18.several MPs have said young and talented colleague must
:05:19. > :05:45.not be allowed to harm the process Are still many elements of the
:05:46. > :05:51.tragic events of today which remain incomprehensible to the residents of
:05:52. > :05:56.Birstall. Not least the violent attack. One man who witnessed the
:05:57. > :06:02.attack has been speaking to Derek Thomas. I should warn you, this
:06:03. > :06:17.description of the attack is distressing. I had finished work. I
:06:18. > :06:28.heard a loud noise. It was like a car backfiring. As I turned around
:06:29. > :06:36.to look, I heard a woman screaming. I saw man with what looked like a
:06:37. > :06:45.gun in his hand. People were wrestling to get him. He wielded a
:06:46. > :06:53.knife and they backed. What words did you hear? I heard him say
:06:54. > :07:04.Britain first or put Britain first. He shouted it at least twice. We're
:07:05. > :07:08.going to speak to campaign director for campaigning network. You live in
:07:09. > :07:17.London. You have come up here -- pay your respects? I have been in London
:07:18. > :07:23.these past few weeks. I have worked with Brendan, Jo's husband for many
:07:24. > :07:30.years. Many of our staff have had the privilege and honour of working
:07:31. > :07:34.with Jo. I wanted to come here. I was at the vigil service and the
:07:35. > :07:40.church was packed to the rafters. That speaks to who Jo was. She was a
:07:41. > :07:45.hero. A champion of the people of Birstall, but also a champion of
:07:46. > :07:52.people around the world, from Syrian refugees to women in Africa. My
:07:53. > :07:58.organisation has set up a message board online per-pupil been sending
:07:59. > :08:04.thoughts. We had 10,000 messages in the last of hours. I have some of
:08:05. > :08:10.them printed out. This is from Laura. My deep and tender
:08:11. > :08:19.condolences to this family. Jo was a brave and smart example of a woman
:08:20. > :08:25.serving her community. Sacrifice will be forgotten. That is a sample
:08:26. > :08:30.of how people are feeling at this moment. And how much she meant to so
:08:31. > :08:35.many people. It is not often you hear a politician praised for the
:08:36. > :08:42.hard work that they do. Jaw was absolutely a hero. You're right. You
:08:43. > :08:50.don't hear politicians being praised so often. Hash tag for thank your MP
:08:51. > :08:55.is generating. It is astonishing to see the loss of Jo Cox has prompted
:08:56. > :08:58.people to stop and reflect on the hard work that many politicians do.
:08:59. > :09:04.Which perhaps doesn't get the coverage that some of the more
:09:05. > :09:10.untoward behaviour does. Think that is right. Are really shone through
:09:11. > :09:14.with Jo was how much he cared about unity and bringing people together.
:09:15. > :09:18.People react to that. Use yet time and time again when someone let's
:09:19. > :09:23.the light shine in the world, people are drawn to that and feel inspired.
:09:24. > :09:30.That is why he loss today is so tragic for our world, for the UK
:09:31. > :09:38.especially. You run a campaigning organisation. Some people say these
:09:39. > :09:45.organisations have replaced the need for politics. Do you think Jo Cox
:09:46. > :09:51.still believed in the old-fashioned principles of getting elected and
:09:52. > :09:57.representing a fixed group of people? Absolutely. A lot of young
:09:58. > :09:59.people are shunning away from party politics, but both models have
:10:00. > :10:09.advantages and disadvantages. It is not either, or. For our
:10:10. > :10:14.organisation, we fly best when we are working closely with politicians
:10:15. > :10:17.pushing forward good agendas and good policies, like protecting
:10:18. > :10:30.Syrian children refugees. We are so saddened by what has happened today.
:10:31. > :10:32.Thank you. Over 10,000 messages have been put on Matt message board.
:10:33. > :10:39.Perhaps the most moving of all Satan is today comes from Jo Cox's husband
:10:40. > :11:16.Brendan. I will read you the statement he released in full.
:11:17. > :11:29.A statement from Jo Cox's husband. Jo Cox represented the Labour Party,
:11:30. > :11:34.the main opposition party in the UK. One of its Shadow Cabinet members,
:11:35. > :11:41.Lucy Powell, has been speaking to the BBC.
:11:42. > :11:46.Jo was a wonderful woman, parliamentarian, mother and wife.
:11:47. > :11:56.Her life has been taken through an act of warped hatred
:11:57. > :12:01.She had a wonderful life while she was here.
:12:02. > :12:03.And she would want us to celebrate that life.
:12:04. > :12:08.A lot of people have spoken about her work with refugees.
:12:09. > :12:12.She has had a life of commitment to campaigning for those
:12:13. > :12:18.most in need in the UK and around the world.
:12:19. > :12:22.At Christmas time in her holidays, as well as through our work.
:12:23. > :12:32.She raised issues with a great deal of passion and intelligence
:12:33. > :12:36.She was on track to have a really astounding parliamentary career
:12:37. > :12:58.It was astonishing how much of a profile she had in that time.
:12:59. > :13:00.She has achieved a great deal in her whole life,
:13:01. > :13:04.She knew what she wanted to see and campaign on.
:13:05. > :13:07.She made a real impact in Parliament as a parliamentarian,
:13:08. > :13:12.She was probably one of the most popular MPs right across the board
:13:13. > :13:14.because she was at a bubbly, happy person who loved
:13:15. > :13:18.life, as well as being a brilliant public servant.
:13:19. > :13:23.Both sides have suspended their campaigning.
:13:24. > :13:37.We need to understand the motives for this appalling
:13:38. > :13:43.It seems clear that was one born from hatred.
:13:44. > :13:47.As a society, we should say that is absolutely unacceptable
:13:48. > :13:54.and take time to properly reflect on that.
:13:55. > :13:58.And to make sure this kind of act, this sort of hatred that people feel
:13:59. > :14:11.It is difficult for MPs because a lot of your work
:14:12. > :14:16.One thing Jo would not want would be for MPs to hide away.
:14:17. > :14:19.She was an MP for the place she grew up.
:14:20. > :14:30.That was a real part about who Jo was.
:14:31. > :14:31.A Yorkshire lass through and through.
:14:32. > :14:38.She wouldn't want us to hide away from that.
:14:39. > :14:49.Obviously your colleagues are all in a state of shock today?
:14:50. > :14:51.And parliamentarians right across-the-board.
:14:52. > :14:53.Because she was so vivid, so popular, so dynamic,
:14:54. > :15:04.And she was undertaking her work as a constituency MP,
:15:05. > :15:17.what we all do week in week out and we are often vilified as MPs.
:15:18. > :15:20.And she was undertaking her work as a constituency MP,
:15:21. > :15:26.Made as these hate characters, but at the end of the day
:15:27. > :15:28.we are mothers, friends, wives, humans trying
:15:29. > :15:33.And that is what Jo was trying to do today.
:15:34. > :15:42.Abel have are just a few hours to comprehend to this news. -- people.
:15:43. > :15:47.In Orlando, people love adds several days to start the grieving process
:15:48. > :15:55.for the huge number of people shot dead in the nightclub. President
:15:56. > :16:12.Obama has been visiting there. We will be live in a few minutes. Let's
:16:13. > :16:15.continue our coverage of the murder of Jo Cox. She worked with the
:16:16. > :16:26.charity campaigner Sarah Brown. Hearing the breaking news
:16:27. > :16:28.that she had been shot in her constituency,
:16:29. > :16:30.everyone just stopped. To reach the end of the day
:16:31. > :16:33.realising she had lost her life Can you tell me how you first
:16:34. > :16:39.met her and in what circumstances I knew her for many years
:16:40. > :16:43.when we were involved She moved from her job
:16:44. > :16:51.at Oxfam to come and join me She came in as the director
:16:52. > :16:58.of our maternal mortality campaign. We were working side-by-side,
:16:59. > :17:01.going all around the world, arguing and making the case
:17:02. > :17:05.for policies to change to save the lives of
:17:06. > :17:07.mothers and children It was a positive experience
:17:08. > :17:13.although we were tackling Jo brought an energy
:17:14. > :17:33.to that campaign. A vivacity and determination
:17:34. > :17:37.that I think really Such a lively, bright,
:17:38. > :17:41.bubbly person. She would always put such huge
:17:42. > :17:46.energy behind everything she did. Really committed to helping
:17:47. > :17:47.the most marginalised, the poorest families
:17:48. > :17:49.and children around the world. You were friends over many years
:17:50. > :17:54.from that first meeting. You must have been very pleased
:17:55. > :17:58.when she became an MP? She was very committed
:17:59. > :18:10.to the Labour Party. On charity causees,
:18:11. > :18:17.you put that to one side. That she became chair
:18:18. > :18:19.of the Labour women's group. She was so delighted
:18:20. > :18:36.to represent her home in Yorkshire. There is alive page on this story on
:18:37. > :18:46.our -- on our website and on our phone app. -- a live page. I live
:18:47. > :18:51.with you in Birstall, a small market town in West Yorkshire in the
:18:52. > :18:56.north-west of England, not far from Leeds. Just buying me, in front of
:18:57. > :19:00.the local library, the member of Parliament Jo Cox was stabbed and
:19:01. > :19:13.shot. She later died from her injuries. President Obama is in
:19:14. > :19:24.Orlando, meeting some of those who were injured in a nightclub at the
:19:25. > :19:29.weekend. Let's listen to some of what he said. At the worst of
:19:30. > :19:41.humanity reared its ugly head. The best of humanity came roaring back.
:19:42. > :19:52.Let me quote more precisely. After the worst of humanity reared its
:19:53. > :19:59.evil head, the best of humanity came roaring back. We are all going to
:20:00. > :20:08.have to work together. At every level of government, across
:20:09. > :20:14.political lines, to do more to stop killers who want to terrorise us. We
:20:15. > :20:21.will continue to be relentless. Against terrorist groups like I soak
:20:22. > :20:26.and Al-Qaeda. Were going to destroy them. We are going to disrupt their
:20:27. > :20:34.networks and their financing. And the flow of fighters in and out of
:20:35. > :20:41.water fields. We are going to disrupt their propaganda. That
:20:42. > :20:50.poisons so many minds around the world. We are going to do all that.
:20:51. > :20:57.Our resolve is clear. But given the fact that the last two terrorist
:20:58. > :21:04.attacks on our soil, Orlando and San Bernardino, were home-grown, carried
:21:05. > :21:13.out by it appears not external plotters, not by vast networks or
:21:14. > :21:20.sophisticated cells, but by deranged individuals, warped by the hateful
:21:21. > :21:25.propaganda they had seen over the internet, then broken just to do
:21:26. > :21:31.more to prevent these kinds of events from occurring. It will take
:21:32. > :21:38.more than just our military. It is going to require more than just our
:21:39. > :21:45.intelligence teams. As good as they are, as dedicated as they are, as
:21:46. > :22:00.focused as they are, if you have lone wolf attacks like this, hatched
:22:01. > :22:05.in the minds of a disturbed person, then we are going to have to take
:22:06. > :22:11.different kinds of steps in order to prevent something like this from
:22:12. > :22:15.happening. Now, those who were killed and injured here were gunned
:22:16. > :22:24.down by a single killer with a powerful assault weapon. The motives
:22:25. > :22:31.of this killer may have been different than the mass shooters in
:22:32. > :22:40.Aurora or Newtown. But the instruments of death were so
:22:41. > :22:48.similar. And now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are
:22:49. > :22:58.injured, some are still fighting for their lives. Some other ones that
:22:59. > :23:07.will last a lifetime. We cannot anticipate or catch every single day
:23:08. > :23:11.range person that may wish to do harm to his neighbours or his
:23:12. > :23:22.friends or his co-workers or strangers, but we can do something
:23:23. > :23:31.about the amount of damage... President Obama was speaking
:23:32. > :23:35.earlier. Offering solidarity to the LG BT community and offering a
:23:36. > :23:39.message to all Americans that he continues to take the threat of
:23:40. > :23:45.Islamic state very seriously indeed. Let's quickly talk with Rob Watson
:23:46. > :23:52.who is here with be in West Yorkshire. There is a hash tag going
:23:53. > :23:59.around just now saying thank your MP. It is extraordinary to see a
:24:00. > :24:04.real outpouring of affection and gratitude to MPs, all as a tribute
:24:05. > :24:11.to Jo Cox. That is incredibly unusual because for most of the time
:24:12. > :24:17.British politicians are treated like a football by the media. And buy a
:24:18. > :24:22.lot of voters. This extraordinary incident that has happened just
:24:23. > :24:26.behind us, it is not just shocking here, but it sends shock waves
:24:27. > :24:36.around the country. It will lead to debates regarding how we can discuss
:24:37. > :24:42.politics in this country. We are going to leave it there. If the
:24:43. > :24:46.campaign is around the UK have shown us democracy in full swing with
:24:47. > :24:51.Everton that goes with it, perhaps today has shown a different kind of
:24:52. > :24:54.democracy. The work of elected officials listing to the concerns of
:24:55. > :25:01.the people they represent and doing their very best to act on them. The
:25:02. > :25:07.country is united in grief at the loss of Jo Cox, MP. You will see
:25:08. > :25:12.further coverage of how the nation responds here on BBC news.