A man who fatally attacked and shot Labour MP Jo Cox outside her constituency office today reportedly shouted “Britain First”.
The MP for Batley and Spen was pronounced dead just under an hour after being attacked outside her constituency surgery in Birstall.
A 52-year-old man was arrested near Market Street, Birstall, West Yorkshire Police said. The MP held a weekly advice surgery nearby.
The MP’s death was confirmed at police headquarters in Wakefield. Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.
According to the Guardian 38-year-old Graeme Howard said he heard a man shout “Britain First” during the attack.
A second eyewitness Clarke Rothwell told the Examiner the man shouted “Britain First, Britain First”.
He added: “I looked round and there was a guy standing over a woman on the floor. He seemed to have what looked like an old gun, like a musket, in his hand and he shot her again in the middle. He then seemed to shoot a third time, towards her head or face.
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“He was also stabbing at her with what looked like a hunting knife, about a foot long. He was stabbing her and waving the knife around. A man who I know as Bernard tried to get near but the man swung his knife around and caught him in the stomach. Blood started coming out.”
Aamir Tahir, of the Dry Clean Centre, also said the gunman was heard shouting “Britain first”.
He said: “The lady I work with heard two loud bangs but I wasn’t there, I was stuck in traffic at the time. I wish I was there because I would have tried to stop him.
“The whole street thinks it was me but it wasn’t. Apparently the guy who did it shouted ‘Britain first’ and if I had been there I would have tackled him.”
Ms Cox, who was born in Batley, was elected in 2015.
She was educated at Heckmondwike Grammar School and graduated from Cambridge University in 1995.
A former head of policy for Oxfam, she also worked as an adviser to Sarah Brown and Baroness Kinnock.
