POLITICIANS in Dorset have voiced their shock after the MP Jo Cox died following an attack outside her constituency advice surgery.

Bournemouth East MP and Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood remembered her as a “delightful and committed” politician who was admired across the House of Commons.

Mrs Cox, a 41-year-old mother of two, died this afternoon after being shot and stabbed in the street outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire.

Mr Ellwood faced the former Oxfam worker across the Commons when she asked an urgent question to urge government intervention in Syria last year.

He said all MPs were in shock over the news of the attack.

“She was passionate and committed to using her experience in the charity sector and of working with non-governmental organisations in the Middle East to hold the government to account on what Britain is doing to help those various minorities and those caught up in Iraq and Syria,” she said.

“She was such a delightful and committed and articulate MP and clearly a rising star in the Labour ranks, absolutely respected from across the House.”

He said MPs of all parties would go into the chamber when they saw that she was about to speak.

He added: “It’s somethings significant to the British parliament that we make every effort to be accessible and not remain within the Westminster bubble or behind bars and security.”

Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns said: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking. One can’t think of anything else but her husband and two kids, aged three and five, without their mum.

“It was an incident during what the media calls ‘holidays’, in her constituency, when she was making herself available to her employers, the electorate, and was gunned down in the most horrible circumstances."

He said of being an MP: “While it does bring tremendous privileges to the person in politics, it does also bring with it some sacrificies of privacy and family time and poor Jo has paid a terrible price for that.”

Lord Knight of Weymouth, who as Jim Knight was Labour MP for South Dorset from 2001-2010, tweeted after the news that she had been injured: “Distressed to hear the news about Jo Cox MP. Thoughts with her, a brave and great Member of Parliament.”

North Dorset MP Simon Hoare said; "Jo Cox's passing is so desperately sad. A real light has gone out. Let's pray for her and her family. May she Rest In Peace."


Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns tweeted: “Absolutely shocked at news of shooting of Jo Cox. Prayers for her and her family.”


Patrick Canavan, chair of Bournemouth Labour Party, tweeted after the news that she was crtiically ill: “Our thoughts go out to Jo and her family.”


West Yorkshire Police said a 52-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack, which happened near the town's library.