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The sister of murdered MP Jo Cox today criticised politicians who continue to use divisive language that risks stoking up violence.

Kim Leadbeater said the nature of political debate — particularly about Brexit — “filtered down” to the rest of the country and that language should be carefully chosen.

Ms Cox, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was shot and stabbed in West Yorkshire on June 16, 2016 in the run-up to the EU referendum. Thomas Mair, a far-Right extremist, was jailed for life for her murder.

Ms Leadbeater, an ambassador for the Jo Cox Foundation, said: “There was that period after Jo was killed where politicians said all the right things and treated each other well… and that lasted a matter of weeks before they were being horrible to each other. And that filters down to the rest of the country.

“We have to find a way to have robust discussion and passionate debate without it leading to attacks, whether it’s verbal or physical.”

There were calls for a Conservative MP to lose the party whip last year after they were anonymously quoted saying Theresa May should “bring her own noose” to a meeting of Tory backbenchers. Another MP was reported to have said: “The moment is coming when the knife gets heated, stuck in her front.” Ms Leadbeater oversees the Great Get Together events held in her sister’s memory, which this year will be on the weekend of 21 to 23 June.

She said the community gatherings, which take place across the country, were “so important” as they provide people “with an opportunity to meet people who are different to them”.

She added: “I don’t care whether you voted Leave or Remain, but what I do care about is why did you do that.

“Let’s understand why people do what they do.”

Thousands of events are planned this year, including coffee mornings, street parties and picnics in London.

Ms Leadbeater said the Great Get Together had helped her family, adding: “I’m extremely angry about what happened to us… but we can try to take some positive action to make a difference.”

Ms Cox’s son Cuillin and daughter Lejla were coping “amazingly” well, she said, and travel up to Yorkshire once a month to be with their grandparents.