What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The Tory candidate in murdered Jo Cox's old constituency caused outrage on the campaign trail when she said: "We have not yet shot anybody so that's wonderful."

Dr Ann Myatt's incredibly insensitive remark was met with gasps and jeers from the audience at the Batley and Spen election hustings.

A friend of the murdered MP who was with her the night before her death said he felt "utter abhorrence" after the Tory's sick comment.

The Conservative was answering a question about how to tackle Islamophobia when she said: "This sort of evening is absolutely first rate because we have here people of all faiths, we have here people from different parts of the community and we have not yet shot anybody so that's wonderful."

Mum-of-two Ms Cox was gunned down last year on her way to a local library and right-wing extremist Thomas Mair was jailed for life for murder.

Dr Myatt later apologised "unreservedly" for her "stupid comment", but not before going on a ramble about cricket and the Great British Bake Off.

Labour member David Keeton, who was in the audience at the time, said: "My initial reaction at what she said was shock, then utter abhorrence that someone could say such a thing under any circumstances, let alone here less than a year after our wonderful MP Jo Cox was murdered by a far-right terrorist.

(Image: PA)

"For my wife and I it was made all the more personal as we knew Jo well - we were last with her the evening before she was killed.

"The Tories have parachuted in a candidate for this election who knows nothing about the area and clearly knows even less about the people here."

After the jeers and gasps died down, Dr Myatt said: "Sorry, what I'm saying is this is a very good example of how you can come together.

"This happens to be about politics but if you could have things, as you said, about cricket and about maybe cooking - you know, that wonderful lady who won the Bake Off. All sorts of things.

"Maybe some of it would be about things rather than difference - things that we share, things that we have."

Dr Myatt was later challenged to say sorry by an audience member at the debate, which took place in a community centre just two miles from where Ms Cox was murdered.

She said: "I apologise unreservedly for a stupid comment. I was apologising before I passed on the microphone. I'm really sorry."

Dr Myatt, an NHS consultant dermatologist, stood against Lib Dem leader Tim Farron in his Cumbria constituency in 2015, losing by 8,949 votes.

Ms Myatt said in a statement today: "I wholeheartedly apologise for my ill-judged remarks at the hustings and for any offence they caused.

"I said sorry at the time and would like to apologise again for my comments, which were out of character and came at the end of a tiring day."