'Nothing has changed since Jo's death - politics is more divided than ever' warns MP Kim Leadbeater
Ten years on from the tragic death of MP Jo Cox, her sister Kim Leadbeater warns that society is more divided than ever
It was a seminal moment after Jo Cox’s death - an image of a single white rose was beamed onto television screens in her vacant seat in Parliament.
It was exact same room where Jo’s maiden speech echoed the words “we have far more in common than that divides us”.
And following the Batley and Spen MP’s murder it was a phrase that truly stuck in the nation’s conscience.
It was a moment that so many people - regardless of political allegiance - promised to honour in her memory of acceptance and togetherness.
But now ten years on her sister MP Kim Leadbeater warns there is more division, threats and abuse than ever before.
Reflecting on what the country presently looks like, Kim said: “When Jo was killed, for a short period of time, people seemed to say all of the right things, how could this have happened, this isn’t acceptable, this isn’t what our politics looks like, this isn’t what our country looks like, we must do things differently.
“And there was talk of a more compassionate approach to politics and more kindness. And sadly, if I am being honest, that was very short-lived. And I think it is fair to say, a decade later, we are seeing more division, more anger, certainly more threats and abuse and intimidation directed at elected people. I include politicians, MPs and local councillors in that.”
She fears that the toxic nature of political debate would force people to step away from the limelight and choose not to enter the world of politics.
Kim warned: “And that is a deeply worrying situation to be in for our democracy because two things will happen. One, people will leave public life because of the fears and the environment. And two, good people will choose not to enter public life. And that can only have a negative impact on our democracy.”
And she warns those threats go beyond people who step into the world of politics - it is impacting many people in different sectors including health care and in shops across the country.
She said: “But the point I would also make is that it is not just a political problem, it is a societal problem. I find it extremely depressing that I go up to Dewsbury Hospital as I do regularly for blood tests and we have signs up on the walls saying please be kind to the staff, please treat people with respect.
“When did we become the kind of country that needed to tell people just to be nice to each other? I just think that is deeply depressing”
“I go to the local supermarket and the staff are wearing body cameras because they get so much abuse and have been attacked.
“We all have to sit back and think, is this the kind of country we want to live in? And I really hope the answer is no. We need to think about how we can be more respectful, more civilised, even when we disagree, because Jo’s words about having more in common are absolutely true, we do have more in common than that which divides us.
“But that doesn’t mean that we have to agree on everything. And when we do disagree, we have to be able to do that with respect and civility, and maybe we also need to be a little bit more open minded to other people’s views and opinions and have a greater understanding of how and why people feel the way they do. That is a really important message on the ten year anniversary of Jo being killed.”
Kim revealed that politicians are given security advice by the police and the authorities, which she takes, but believes “bridges need to be built” in society for empathy and kindness to triumph over anger and hate.
She said: “Sadly, safety and security is an integral part of being a member of Parliament these days. It is always on your mind, you have to think about it. I take all the advice that I am given by the authorities and by the police to ensure that I can do my job as freely and as openly as possible but also as safely as possible.
“I don’t know one MP that wants to be wrapped in cotton wool and not be able to go out and see people. It is the best part of the job by far.
“So rather than thinking about what more we can do to protect MPs or councillors or anybody else, I think we need to go back to that point about thinking about the type of society we live in and how we can stop the aggression and the abuse and the horribleness in the first place.
“We don’t want to build walls. We want to be building bridges and that is really the piece of work that I am focussed on and that is indeed the work we have focussed on since Jo was killed - understanding disagreement and respecting different opinions but also trying to be more empathetic towards each other and finding that common ground and when there are challenges and problems let’s look how we can work together to try and solve them.”