Thomas Mair arrives in court to be charged with murder of Labour MP Jo Cox
A 52 year old man has been charged with the murder of Jo Cox after the Labour MP was shot and stabbed in a tragic killing on Thursday.
Thomas Mair, who was arrested immediately after the attack outside a constituency surgery Cox was holding in Birstall, has now been formally charged by West Yorkshire Police and is currently attending a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court where he will also be charged with a string of other offences related to the incident.
A 77-year old man who attempted to stop the attack remains in a stable condition in hospital, after what the chief constable described as a "brave intervention".
Vigils were held across the country on Thursday night and throughout Friday to pay tribute to the Labour MP. Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, confirmed that parliament will be recalled on Monday for a special session so that the Batley and Spen MP's former colleagues can pay their own respects.
Jeremy Corbyn (right) is joined by David Cameron (centre) at a vigil yesterday to lay flowers and say words about their former parliamentary colleague.
At a commemorative event in Birstall yesterday, standing alongside the prime minister, Corbyn said: "It was an attack on democracy … it was the well of hatred that killed her.
"We must come together to understand that everyone must have protection and security in order to function in a democractic society.
"She was an excellent woman."
David Cameron added: "Parliament has lost one of its most passionate and brilliant campaigners – someone who epitomised that politics is about serving others."
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Cox has been universally praised by MPs from across the house for her tough, principled and collegiate manner in Westminster, with George Osborne crediting the backbench Opposition MP, who was only elected at last year's general election, with changing the government's policy over Syrian refugees.
The new mayor of London, and former parliamentary colleague of Cox, Sadiq Khan, said when she rose to speak in the House of Commons, a quiet hush came over the "bear pit", as those from across the house knew she was about to say something important and meaningful.
A number of high-profile EU referendum events have been scrapped over the weekend, though "low-level" campaigning is expected to resume today after a hiatus following the attack on Thursday afternoon.