How the murder of my sister, Jo Cox, changed Britain

Ten years after the murder of MP Jo Cox, her sister Kim Leadbeater reflects on a moment that shattered her family and exposed the deep fractures in British politics. The assassination of a pro-Europe, social justice advocate by a far-right extremist during the Brexit campaign wasn't just a tragedy—it was a symptom of a rising tide of division, misinformation, and loneliness. Kim reveals how the killer was described as a 'classic loner,' highlighting the dangerous intersection between isolation and extremism. Yet she argues that reducing Jo’s murder to an isolated act obscures the broader societal failure to address alienation and polarization. Despite a brief post-murder call for unity, British politics has regressed, with hate speech and extremist rhetoric now mainstream. Kim, who initially avoided politics, eventually ran for office in Jo’s seat, driven by a moral imperative to represent her community and fight for connection. Her work with the Jo Cox Foundation—through events like The Great Get Together—proves that human connection is not just possible but essential. The real danger, she warns, isn’t just political violence, but the erosion of everyday spaces where people meet, talk, and build empathy. The solution? A relentless, collective effort to amplify the stories of kindness, community, and shared purpose that define the country.