3 days ago
Jo Cox and the privilege of office
Photo byI've been an MP for nearly four years. It's not a career I imagined for myself, and there are many things that frustrate me about it. Not least that the huge volume of work in Westminster and the constituency leaves far too little time for reflection. But this time of year is always the exception for me. It was nine years ago that my sister, Jo Cox, was murdered here in the corner of West Yorkshire where we were born and raised.
I still cannot believe what happened and the anniversary never gets any easier. But it is a moment to remember not just what an amazing woman Jo was, but also how in her tragically short time as an MP she made such an impact through her deeply held values and her determination to use the great privilege of parliamentary office to get things done. And always to do so with compassion and humanity – by bringing people together and upholding the words of her maiden speech that, 'We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.'
Those words can sometimes be hard to reconcile with the world we see around us, but I am certain that if Jo were alive today she would reject the counsels of despair and urge us to redouble our efforts to seek out the common humanity that is the pathway back from conflict and hatred.
When retribution and violence prevail over dialogue and understanding, we end up with both the carnage we are now witnessing on a global scale in the Middle East and the personal tragedy of another political murder of state senator Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in Minnesota.
World leaders gathering in Canada for the G7, including Keir Starmer, rightly insist that the only route to peace is through diplomacy and de-escalation. My sister was killed during the EU referendum campaign. The argument was made then that we are stronger when we work closely with nations that share our values and collectively have the economic muscle to defend them. Today that extends beyond our friends in Europe to include Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many others with which we demonstrably have so much in common.
Fit, for a purpose
But bringing people together starts in our own communities, where we can all do our bit. We launched the Great Get Together after Jo was killed, and every year thousands of people take part in events across the country on what would have been her birthday on 22 June.
This weekend in my Spen Valley constituency the annual Run for Jo takes place, organised by local volunteers, people who never cease to inspire me to keep going no matter how tough things get.
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My background is in health and well-being but it's not easy keeping fit in this job. I am a member of the all-party groups for tennis and women's football, though. Spending time with colleagues with whom I may disagree but have a shared passion really does embrace the More in Common philosophy. For me, sport has always been a force for good and an opportunity to put whatever differences we may have to one side.
The power to act
I was getting changed in the ladies' toilet at Westminster after a cross-party game of tennis last September when my phone started going crazy. Unbeknown to me, I had just come top in the private members' ballot and so had the chance to introduce my own piece of legislation in parliament. After a great deal of thought and many conversations, I decided to adopt the issue of assisted dying. My Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is due to have its crucial third reading vote on 20 June.
The journey to this point has been intense, and at times frustrating, with many months of drafting, taking evidence and debate. Assisted dying was first raised in parliament way back in 1936; it is such an important issue, which means so much to so many people. Since then it has been introduced safely and effectively as part of a holistic approach to end-of-life care in many jurisdictions around the world. The injustice and inhumanity of the status quo means we cannot wait any longer to offer it to terminally ill people here in the UK. As Jo would say, if we have the privilege and the power to do the right thing, we should use it. What are we in politics for if not to right wrongs, correct injustices and help end unnecessary suffering?
Kim Leadbeater MBE is the MP for Spen Valley
[See also: The ghost of Muriel Spark]
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