Sister of murdered MP Jo Cox pays tribute to Yorkshire's kindness

The sister of murdered MP Jo Cox has vowed to highlight the kindness and generosity of the people of Yorkshire as she works on a series of events in the region to keep her sister's memory and values alive.
Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, speaks about her efforts to keep her sister's values alive and raise money for charity. 
2nd March 2016.
Picture Jonathan GawthorpeKim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, speaks about her efforts to keep her sister's values alive and raise money for charity. 
2nd March 2016.
Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe
Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, speaks about her efforts to keep her sister's values alive and raise money for charity. 2nd March 2016. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe

Kim Leadbeater is devoting herself to “creating something positive” out of the Batley and Spen MP’s murder outside her constituency office at the hands of far-right extremist Thomas Mair on June 16 last year.

She aims to promote her older sister’s values of equality, tolerance and community cohesion with events throughout 2017 and is planning community and school activities to engage with young people.

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Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Miss Leadbeater said she had a “moral obligation” to continue her sister’s work and paid tribute to the outpouring of kindness shown by locals towards her family in the days after the tragedy.

Jo Cox, who was killed in Birstall last year.Jo Cox, who was killed in Birstall last year.
Jo Cox, who was killed in Birstall last year.

“The kindness shown to us, since Jo was killed, the generosity of people, the kindness of spirit, that is what we should be talking about, because that is what Yorkshire is about”, she said..

“Yorkshire is not about the odd, isolated, horrendous incident, it is about wonderful kind, generous people, and if I can do anything to promote that then I am doing something good.”

She revealed that in the weeks after Jo’s death, she was approached by ‘eminent politicians’ about the possibility of standing to replace her as Batley and Spen MP, but declined.

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And she urged people to honour her sister’s memory in the days around June 16 this year by ‘having a party’ as part of the Great Get Together, which could be the biggest community event since the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The full interview with Kim will be published in The Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post tomorrow and Monday.