Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
MP tribute
Veteran politician Tom Clarke has paid tribute to Labour MP Jo Cox, who was tragically killed outside her constituency surgery last Thursday.
The ex-Westminster representative for Coatbridge, Bellshill & Chryston reminisced about his meetings with Jo to the Advertiser.
In common with millions of British people up and down the country I like to think I now know almost everything about Jo Cox. Above all she was a wonderful, caring, dynamic MP, wife and mother.
Through my long interest in International Development, I had the pleasure of meeting Jo on a number of occasions at various events.
I didn’t get to know her as well as I did her husband Brendan, who had a post with Save the Children. But I found that, like every aid worker I ever met either at home or abroad, they were a thoroughly nice couple.
Jo was working in Darfur – a very dangerous place to be – when I was campaigning for my 2006 International Development Act and had much contact with all the Aid Agencies.
I know that when we got the legislation through, Jo was delighted at the commitment to the United Nations aid target of 0.7 per cent GNI as well as to the he Act’s endorsement of the Millennium Development Goals in the year of “Make Poverty History”.
One of my regrets about the General Election result, as I watched on television when Jo became an MP , was that I didn’t get to know her better as we would undoubtedly have fought together on these issues.
I truly believe people now acknowledge Jo Cox was living proof that the perception of all MPs is not matched with reality.
Certainly a minority have behaved badly, exercised poor judgement, and sometimes even broken the law. However, the constant vilification of virtually everyone who is democratically elected – “They are all in it for themselves”, “snouts in the trough”, “don’t believe a word they say” – was regarded until last Thursday’s terrible tragedy as just the way things are. That can’t be right.
During my thirty-odd years in Parliament, this stereotype did not fit with what I knew of the vast majority of my colleagues in all political parties.
Such a dreadful event has surely compelled us all to reflect on why there has been such loathing and at times overfamiliarity with public servants – the very men and women that we ourselves have chosen.
Of course there are politicians who possess enormous egos, are pompous, and crave publicity as they give interviews in the shadow of Big Ben. But it would be wrong to discard those much more typical Parliamentarians who, in my opinion, toil away, make themselves available day and night, go out knocking on doors, respond to complaints about noisy neighbours, deal with broken drains and so much more.
The ones I knew best worked long hours in Parliament, spent a huge amount of time travelling to and from Westminster, worked daytimes, evenings and weekends and until now were rewarded with little thanks – and often brutally abused verbally.
I loved my job as an MP and remember numerous examples of kindness, friendship, support and solidarity.
That said, my last two years were much less than pleasant. I do not go along with the view the Scottish Referendum was a wonderful exercise in democracy.
At times it was awful; so much so that when I spoke in Parliament on the Scotland Bill I thought and said it was best not to mention it at all. I am convinced the bile of social media, invented conversations, aggressive e- mails and accusations of high living, based on no facts at all, would not be tolerated in any other profession. And, yes, the media must take its substantial share of responsibility. So too must leaders of political parties and tactical advisors.
On the day Jo Cox died so cruelly in the heart of her constituency, Nigel Farage unveiled a shocking poster which was unambiguously racist and this was widely covered on television. This was bigotry writ large.
Yet, to his eternal credit, Brendan told us Jo would not want to confront hate with hate. She would conquer it wherever it is found.
Jo Cox’s death and the events around it raises difficult questions for all of us as democracy itself is imperilled.
Addressing the need for tolerance without compromising vigorous debate would at least be a start in honouring the legacy of a remarkable woman who was taken from us all too soon.
Such a dreadful event has compelled us to reflect