Jo Cox’s Fund to support work of Hope not Hate
Anti-racism campaigner Nick Lowles, CEO of Hope not Hate, shared a meal with Jo Cox's husband the night before she was brutally murdered in her Batley and Spen constituency in Leeds, England.
As well as being a long-standing family friend, Nick had also worked with Jo Cox on campaigns to combat the fear and hatred that breeds so much violence in the world, and that sadly has also characterised the European referendum debate in the UK in the last few months.
Jo’s family have set up a fund-raising page to support three organisations close to her heart. One of these is Hope not Hate.
We reproduce below, a letter from Nick about the appeal and a link to his blog about Jo’s murder in Newsweek.
Dear Reader,
As I write this, I’m still reeling in shock and horror at the murder of Jo Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen, who was so brutally killed yesterday. I had a meal with her husband, Brendan, only the night before. Now he is a widower and their two young children face life without a mother. I find it hard to imagine their pain.
But as much as I feel pain, I also feel anger. How dare someone snuff out such a bright voice of hope in this manner? A principled and passionate MP, who championed women’s and refugee rights. What gives the killer the God-given right to make this choice? Jo, a former head of policy at Oxfam, had a bright future as both a mother and a Member of Parliament. Now that’s all gone.
Today I have written a blog for Newsweek to express my anger at her death and the poisonous politics of fear and hate that has dominated the EU debate in recent weeks. Whatever the outcome next Thursday, we are going to be dealing with the consequences of this toxic debate for months and years to come.
Jo’s family have set up a fundraising page to support three organisations close to her heart. I am humbled that HOPE not hate is one of them.
I would urge all our supporters to give to this fund
https://www.gofundme.com/jocox
Over the last 24 hours we have seen the worst and best of Britain. We had nigel Farage and his hateful poster and we had Jo’s senseless murder. And then we have had the genuine outpouring of grief and solidarity that has accompanied her death by people who felt inspired by everything Jo stood for.
Please, stand with me in making a pledge to build a better world
Nick Lowles