Tributes to Jo Cox

Barry Sheerman Excerpts

Monday 20th June 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

I first met Jo through my daughter Madeleine. Madeleine was working for Glenys Kinnock in Brussels and said, “I’m not worried about leaving Glenys because I’ve found this brilliant replacement called Jo Cox”, so we go back a long way. There was a little bit of friendly rivalry because my daughter went on to work for David Miliband and Jo for Gordon and Sarah Brown, but it was all in good part.

Only a year ago, as a long-standing Member of Parliament for Huddersfield, suddenly I had two brilliant new young Members of Parliament just down the road from me, in Dewsbury and in Batley and Spen. Was I happy! What a change they made to this Chamber. Jo was wonderful, but, as someone said to me the other day, “Don’t be mistaken about Jo. She’s as tough as old boots when she’s campaigning for anything. I upset her once or twice about things, but she always got her own way.”

If you have a daughter like Jo, you must have a darned good family behind you. I am a grandparent—my 10th granddaughter was born only a few days ago. To have a girl like Jo, you need a wonderful, supportive family. We have a duty in this House to watch over that family in the days and months and years to come. We have a duty to support that family and those children.