Labour MP Jo Cox shot in Birstall

Poor little soul she is younger than my daughter. I feel really appalled.

Most definitely Varian

Absolutelyvarian

Respect is what is so missing in this world.

I cannot remember a campaign with so much hate and racism around.
Maybe the referendum should be called off - a terrible and frightening thing to have happened on the streets of Britain. If the referendum has engendered this sort of incident prior to the vote what will happen afterwards? The feelings will not just disappear.
I pray this young mother and the man reported to have also been injured will recover and the leaders of the campaigns reflect, meet and behave in a civilised manner. A terrible and sobering incident.

This news is horrifying.

As the REMAIN and LEAVE campaigns have been suspended for a day, I think we should do the same and avoid the EU threads on GN as a mark of respect.

I am sure that all of us would prefer to think about Jo Cox and her family for now.

Poor woman. Truly horrible. The world's getting worse.

This is so upsetting and now it's confirmed that she is in a critical condition. I am shocked to see such hatred happening on our streets. My heart goes out to her family, what an awful thing for them to be dealing with. Poor woman

@ anniebach

I agree. Sarah Champion has mentioned this before, as has Luciana Berger, who has been the target of anti-semiticism.

I'll hold back until more of the attacker is known. However, unless he had some kind of identifiable mental illness, I would say he was very much of a sound mind. Otherwise every single murderer, including ISIS fighters, could be described as not being of sound mind.

If this does turn out to be related to the referendum or the Syrian War, I hope some people will think about the hatred which has been unleashed. The referendum decision should be based on rational decisions, not the emotive hogwash and personal attacks, which has become part and parcel of the campaigning.

My thoughts are with Jo Cox and her family.

Hatred can be easily whipped up Whitewave

Sarah Champion on BBC talking about the level of absolute hate that MPs experience on a day to day basis. She was totally unprepared for it.

Where are we going wrong?

Just received a photograph of Jo, her husband and two little girls on the Thames yesterday , part of the In campaign flotilla

Nobody of ' sound mind' does these sort of things.

I feel also that when this can happen in Leeds, we are in no position to criticise the US.

I think the very same Whitewave , no one of sound mind could have done this . I have been speaking to someone from the Labour Party campaign who is sobbing, Jo has worked for Oxfam, is a strong woman's rights campaigner, advisor to Sarah Brown when she started her charity for still and prem births . Such a good human being .

The report I saw said the attacker was yelling 'Britain First'.
Whether he is of sound mind or not, it is absolutely dreadful that this should happen on our streets and an utterly chilling indication of the direction the country has taken in the last few years, and where we might be heading.
I do hope Jo Cox recovers.

He was reported to have shouted 'Britain First' three times as he shot her. It's also reported that Leeds General Hospital is under armed guard.

In a way I hope he is found to be of unsound mind, as if he isn't and was motivated by Nationalism that is really scary.

Shot, stabbed, kicked and he pulled at her hair, how can anyone have this hate

Terrible news about the lovely Jo Cox. Hopefully we will hear better news soon.

This is shocking; reports say she is critical.

I do hope she pulls through; not only an MP but the mother of small children.

Both sides have suspended campaigning after this attack.

Yes, I saw that on one of the blog sites along with some very unsavoury posts. There is also a view that it is to do with her abstaining over Syria. Whatever the reason none of our public servants deserve this. They have a right to go about their business without 'let or hinderance'.

New reports are saying it may well be referendum related. He is reported to have been shouting 'Britain First'. So awful

Awful news. Let's hope she pulls through. News is indicating that she stepped in to calm an altercation between two men, over what we don't know. We will just have to wait and see if it was a 'domestic' between the two men and she was just unfortunate collateral damage or something much more sinister. Whatever it is no-one deserves this just for carrying out their duties and exercising common human decency.