Video: Jo Cox's family hail the '˜many acts of bravery' in Birstall

Jo Cox's parents Jean and Gordon Leadbeater embrace her sister Kim outside the Old Bailey after Thomas Mair was found guilty of the murder of the Labour MP

Kim Leadbeater said Mrs Cox’s killer Thomas Mair, 53, had committed an “act of extreme cowardice” and the 41-year-old MP’s death had had a “ripple effect”.

Speaking outside the Old Bailey after Mair was given a whole life sentence, Ms Leadbeater thanked those who witnessed the attack on June 16 for their actions and for coming forward.

Passer-by Bernard Kenny, 78, was stabbed as he tried to halt the onslaught by jumping on Mair’s shoulders from behind, while Mrs Cox’s colleague Fazila Aswat and constituency caseworker Sandra Major tried to intervene.

Ms Leadbeater said: “Jo would have been extremely impressed although not at all surprised by the courage of her staff and constituents during this process and indeed on June 16.

“There may have been one act of extreme cowardice on that day but there were many acts of bravery, particularly from Fazila and Sandra and Bernard Kenny. We think about them often.”

Ms Leadbeater said the family would now take their time to come to terms with their loss and try to uphold the values Mrs Cox stood for, such as “compassion, tolerance, acceptance, understanding and a determination to continue to fight for what is right”.