Lawmakers remember slain colleague
Betting houses shorten odds that Britain will stay in 28-nation EU
LONDON — Britain’s normally raucous House of Commons was given over to tears, roses and warm tributes Monday as legislators urged an end to angry and divisive politics in honor of their slain colleague Jo Cox, who was killed last week.
The British pound and global stock markets surged as shock at the death of the pro-Europe Cox seemed to sap momentum from campaigners fighting for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.
The market surge suggested growing investor confidence that the uncertainty associated with a “leave” vote in Thursday’s referendum would be avoided. Betting houses also shortened the odds that Britain would remain in the 28-nation bloc.
Referendum campaigning resumed with a more somber tone after being suspended for three days following the death Cox, who was shot and stabbed to death outside a library in her northern England constituency last Thursday.
Police have charged a suspect, Thomas Mair, who gave his name during a weekend court appearance as “death to traitors, freedom for Britain.” He appeared in court for a brief hearing by video link Monday from prison, and his lawyer did not seek bail.
Mair’s motivation is unknown, but the slaying raised concerns about the often vitriolic tone of the referendum campaign, which has exposed bitter divisions about immigration and national identity in Britain.
Lawmakers called back from recess for a special session in Cox’s memory urged what Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called “a kinder, gentler politics” in the wake of her death.
“We all have a responsibility, in this House and beyond, not to whip up hatred and sow division,” Corbyn said.
Cox’s friends and colleagues spoke of her warmth, energy and principles, as her husband Brendan and children aged 5 and 3 watched from the public gallery.