Coming together in Jo’s memory
Communities prove we have more in common than divides us in memory of MP a year after her murder
EVENTS: Communities across the country found common cause at the weekend as they embraced unity, hope and love in memory of murdered West Yorkshire MP Jo Cox to mark the first anniversary of her death.
COMMUNITIES ACROSS the country found common cause at the weekend as they embraced unity, hope and love in memory of murdered West Yorkshire MP Jo Cox.
From back garden picnics to large-scale celebrations, tens of thousands of events took place as part of the Great Get Together, organised to mark the first anniversary of mother-of-two Mrs Cox’s death.
Gatherings in Yorkshire included a fun day in Burley and a street party in Roundhay, both in Leeds, and a coffee morning at Gomersal’s Grove Community Library.
Get-togethers were also held in Batley Market Square, All Saints CE Primary School in Little Horton, Bradford, and Rotherham’s Clifton Park, as well as York’s Rowntree Park.
Hundreds of balloons were released in Mrs Cox’s honour during a community day in Wakefield’s Thornes Park while rugby league fans were given free admission as Batley Bulldogs played host to Sheffield Eagles.
There were plenty of smiles in the sun, too, for families at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, near Doncaster.
Places holding events in other parts of the country included St Ann’s Square in Manchester, Cardiff Story Museum, Windsor Guildhall, Palmeira Square in Hove and Clapham Common and Olympic Park in London.
Speaking at a celebration in the centre of Heckmondwike, Mrs Cox’s widower, Brendan, said: “When we first thought about this we were thinking of just bringing some people together.
“We didn’t think it would have anything like the scale and the traction that it’s had. We’ve been awed by it.
“I think we’ve had well over 100,000 events with millions of people taking part in the weekend. And we got the weather for it, which is a good thing to be able to say.”
Famous names entered into the spirit of the occasion, with U2 frontman Bono telling fans at a concert in the American city of Louisville on Friday night: “When Jo Cox was murdered for campaigning for what she believed in, her two children lost a mother and her nation lost one of its brightest stars.” He then dedicated the song Ultraviolet
(Light My Way) to Mrs Cox. Hebden Bridge-born singer Ed Sheeran compiled a special Great Get Together playlist on music streaming service Spotify that included tracks such as Master
Blaster (Jammin’) by Stevie Wonder and Give Me The Night by George Benson. And on-site preparations for this coming weekend’s Glastonbury Festival were temporarily put on hold so workers could stage a Great Get Together celebration of their own.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke at a tea party at Glasgow Women’s Library and urged people not to let the actions of a minority intent on creating division demonise whole communities.
She told attendees: “Jo’s maiden speech in the House of Commons had that memorable phrase ‘we have more in common than anything that divides us’, so that’s a pretty good principle for all of us to try and live our lives by.”
Batley & Spen MP Mrs Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed by farright extremist Thomas Mair in the centre of Birstall on June 16 last year.
Flowers in her memory were laid around the foot of the Joseph Priestley statue in the village this weekend, with one bearing a note that said: “God bless Jo and all her family.”
A handwritten sign fixed to railings next to the statue included the touching words: “All Jo wanted to do was to make people’s lives better, she paid for that with her own life.”
The weekend’s celebrations were expected to be the biggest the country has seen since the street parties that were held to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
We didn’t think it would have anything like the scale. Jo Cox’s widower Brendan on the Great Get Together.