Jo Cox murder: Accused Thomas Mair appears at the Old Bailey court

There was growing support yesterday for MPs to ignore convention and mix on the Commons benches, sitting side by side with members of other parties as a symbol of unity and the rejection of divisive political rhetoric.

Cox’s husband Brendan and her children, aged five and three, listened in the parliament’s gallery as politicians, sporting white roses, paid tribute.

Several MPs wept as Speaker John Bercow told them that the House was meeting in “heartbreaking sadness” and “heartfelt solidarity” to pay tribute to the Batley and Spen MP, who was elected only previous year.

All major parties in the United Kingdom have declined the opportunity to contest Cox’s seat as a mark of respect for the tragic circumstances of her death.

Jo’s Labour colleague Rachel Reeves, who became visibly emotional towards the end of her speech, spoke of her relationship with her friend, whom she had known for 18 years.

The Speaker of the House of Commons led the tributes to the “caring, eloquent, principled and wise” politician and mother-of-two.

“She was a humanitarian to her core”, he said.

The killing of the 41-year-old mother-of-two outside the public library in Birstall in her West Yorkshire constituency has prompted an out-pouring of public grief. “So I pay tribute to her with pride in her achievements, great sadness at her cruel and untimely death and hope that her example will inspire a reawakening of the values our country has always stood for, and which are now at risk”, writes the peer in today’s edition. “We have lost one of our own and society as a whole has lost one of our very best.The horrific act that took her from us was an attack on democracy and our whole country has been shocked and saddened by it”, he said.

At a vigil in Birstall’s market square on Saturday, her sister Kim Leadbeater described the MP as “perfect”, telling the crowd: “Jo would want us to focus on that which unites us not which divides us”.

“I think what we’ve seen in the last couple of days is not just the nation mourning the manner of her death but celebrating what she achieved in her short life”.

They said the event, called More in Common: Celebrating the life of Jo Cox, would celebrate her “warmth, love, energy, passion, flair, Yorkshire heritage and the belief in the humanity of every person in every place”.

The MPs walked behind the Sergent of Arms solemnly out of the chamber to St Margaret’s Church to pay their respects to Jo Cox.