Brussels marks murdered MP Jo Cox by unveiling a square in honour of her ‘ideas of peace, solidarity and tolerance’
Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the unveiling and urged mourners to help ‘build a better world’ – but the MP’s sister is concerned little political progress had been made since her death
BRUSSELS commemorated the murdered MP Jo Cox today by unveiling a square in honour of her “ideas of peace, solidarity and tolerance”.
Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the unveiling ceremony in the Belgian capital and urged mourners to help “build a better world”.
But the MP’s sister Kim Leadbetter voiced concerns little political progress had been made since her death at the hands of far-right terrorist Thomas Mair in 2016.
Brussels decided to rename the square near the city’s town hall in honour of the former Labour representative for Batley and Spen in a bid to have more streets and public places named after women.
The 41-year-old mother-of-two is said to have frequented the Ancienne Belgique concert hall which backs onto the square when she worked in Belgium before being elected to Parliament in 2015.
The Mayor Philippe Close led the ceremony alongside Mrs Cox's sister and parents Gordon and Jean Leadbetter.
Speaking in the newly-named “Place Jo Cox”, Mr Corbyn described her as someone who "lived her life to make lives better for everyone else".
He told the crowd: "She always gave this message that we have far more in common that unites us than can ever possibly divide us."
The Labour leader thanked the people of Brussels for the "truly wonderful gesture" to honour the 41-year-old who was "so cruelly killed, so young, in such a brutal way".
And he ended his speech by saying: "In her memory let's build that better world. We can change the world, thank you."
Reflecting on the political landscape since her sister’s death, Ms Leadbeater said: "After Jo was killed it felt like there was a real hope that some things will change. Obviously for us everything changed forever.
"But beyond that I think a lot of people hoped that the violent assassination of a young mother of two small children on the streets where she grew up would have a profound and long-lasting effect on the political discourse in the UK and beyond.
"However, over two years after, and despite many people working extremely hard to show that Jo's murder was not in vain, I'm sadly not at all sure that this was the case.
"As well as being a celebration of Jo's life, I feel that today is also an opportune time to reflect on this."
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She said she hoped to bring her sister's children to the square in "happier and more settled times".
Mr Close described Mrs Cox as "always pursuing the emancipation of the most disadvantaged" and dying for her "ideas of peace, solidarity and tolerance".
He said the city would continue to "prevent the poison of hatred to spread" and wished, whatever happened in the Brexit negotiations, that the UK "will always remain part of Europe".
After the speeches, a choir led by close friend Suzy Sumner performed music including an African liberation song in a nod to her work on that continent and a traditional Balkan folksong in memory of Mrs Cox's love for the region.
