Jo Cox: Londoners gather at vigils for murdered MP as Hillary Clinton honours 'rising star'

A woman lights a candle in Parliament Square for murdered MP Jo Cox
PA

Hillary Clinton today condemned the shooting of Jo Cox MP as a “violent act of political intolerance” as her murder sent shockwaves around the world.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said she was “horrified” by the killing of the Labour MP outside her constituency office in Birstall yesterday.

In a statement, Clinton said: “By all accounts, she was a rising star. Her maiden speech in Parliament celebrated the diversity of her beloved Yorkshire constituency, and passionately made the case that there is more that unites us than divides us.

“It is cruel and terrible that her life was cut short by a violent act of political intolerance.

Well-wishers sign a message of condolence
PA

“It is critical that the United States and Britain, two of the world’s oldest and greatest democracies, stand together against hatred and violence.

“This is how we must honor Jo Cox - by rejecting bigotry in all its forms, and instead embracing, as she always did, everything that binds us together.”

Clinton’s words came after Londoners gathered to mourn the death and celebrate the life of the mother-of-two in a series of impromptu and emotional vigils across the capital.

A floral tribute left at the vigil to the 'rising star' MP
PA

Flags at the Houses of Parliament and City Hall were lowered to half-mast.

A two-minute silence was observed at the Tooting by-election count, where returning officer Paul Martin said the murder cast a “dark shadow” over the process of electing the newest member of the Commons.

Mr Martin said: “The murder of Jo Cox has shocked the entire country, and it has hit home particularly hard in Tooting.

“It is our duty and responsibility to continue with this by-election, but clearly a very dark shadow has been cast over these proceedings.”

The by-election was held to elect a successor to Sadiq Khan following his election as London mayor.

Mr Khan posted a tribute to his Labour colleague on his Facebook page, describing the mother-of-two as a “fearless campaigner” who stood up for the world’s poorest and most marginalised.

He wrote: “In the year she was an MP she made more impact than others make in a whole parliamentary career.

A photo of Jo Cox shared on Twitter by her husband Brendan after the attack today
Brendan Cox/Twitter

“She was the most powerful advocate for the people of Syria, ensuring their plight stayed on the political agenda as well as reminding us all of our country’s proud record of humanitarianism.

“But she was also an extremely hard-working local MP for her home constituency and so proud of her roots there.”

The 41-year-old also had a great sense of humour, Mr Khan said, having joking that she hoped to get permission from the House of Commons to park her houseboat at Parliament “so she could drive it to work”.

Bunches of flowers were laid at a shrine in Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster where hundreds of people stopped to pay their respects as dusk fell.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson were among numerous MPs to stand in silence, lighting candles and leaving flowers.

Mr Corbyn said: “We’ve lost a wonderful woman, we’ve lost a wonderful member of parliament, but our democracy will go on. Her work will go on. As we mourn her memory, we’ll work in her memory to achieve that better world she spent her life trying to achieve.”

Three miles east on the banks of the Thames, devastated houseboat owners who live on the same jetty as Mrs Cox and her family in Wapping laid bouquets on their converted barge Ederlezi.

Police at the scene in Birstall, West Yorkshire
Nigel Roddis/PA

As ship horns rang out in unison for a full two minutes, her neighbours stood solemnly by their boats with tears in their eyes before five children, each holding a single red rose approached the houseboat and threw them onto the deck.

Anne Wainwright, chair of Hermitage moorings, said: “We have lost a dear, dear friend in the most tragic and outrageous circumstances.

“We pay tribute to our amazing, wonderful and spirited member of this community.

“A beacon of hope who believed in love, friendship and values that we all so much need at this time.

“The community will continue to be inspired by her relentless energy and all that is good.”

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