Jo Cox death: Thomas Mair charged with murder of 41-year-old Batley and Spen MP
Mrs Cox, 41, was attacked in the street outside her constituency surgery in Birstall
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A man has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox.
Mrs Cox, 41, was attacked in the street as she arrived at a constituency surgery in Birstall, near Leeds, at lunchtime on Thursday.
West Yorkshire Police said Thomas Mair, of Birstall, has been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon.
The 52-year-old will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court today.
Yesterday Parliament was recalled, campaigning in the EU referendum was suspended and the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition stood side by side in grief, as Britain united to remember the life of the "extraordinary" Labour MP.
In a remarkable show of political unity, David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn travelled to Ms Cox’s West Yorkshire constituency to pay tribute to the MP alongside her constituents, and to condemn a crime that the Labour leader called “an assault on democracy itself”.
MPs, who had been on a special recess ahead of Thursday’s EU vote, will return to Westminster on Monday to pay their respects. Referendum campaigning will be suspended for a second day today.
Speaking in Birstall, the Prime Minister issued a call for the country to unite around the values of democracy, service and tolerance that Ms Cox represented.
"Today our nation is rightly shocked and I think it is time to take a moment to stand back and think about some of the things that are so important about our country," Mr Cameron said.
"The fact that we should treasure and value our democracy, where members of Parliament are in the public, accountable to the public, available to the public. And that’s how Jo died, she died doing her job.
"Politicians disagree with each other, we often disregard what politicians say and we disregard each other. But that is what it is about and that is what Jo showed it is all about.”
Mr Corbyn called on the country to come together to “face down hatred and intolerance in our society”. “It was an assault on democracy itself, an attack on the right of everyone to have their say in how our country is run, and for those that the people elect to be able to listen to and represent them without fear or favour,” he said.
“Ours is a country where tolerance and respect for other people and different viewpoints have always been highly valued. We must not allow those who peddle hatred, terror and division to poison and degrade our national and political life.”
The Conservatives, Ukip and the Liberal Democrats all confirmed that they would not contest the by-election that must now be held in Ms Cox’s Batley and Spen constituency.
Tributes continued to pour in from around the world for the 41-year-old MP and former aid worker, who had won respect and admiration on both sides of the House of Commons since being elected little more than a year ago.
Almost £250,000 has also been raised on a crowdfunding page set up in her name, which will see proceeds go to three of Ms Cox's favourite charities.
Many MPs went ahead with constituency surgeries yesterday, as police chiefs said that parliamentarians would be given an opportunity to raise any new security concerns as a result of the attack.
The National Police Chief’s Council said that local police forces would contact their local MPs with security advice. “Officers will offer further guidance and advice where an MP requests it on a case by case basis depending on any specific threat or risk,” a spokesperson said.
PA contributed to this report