The tragedy of the events surrounding the killing of the Labour MP Jo Cox on the streets of her constituency has revealed the unity of the community in Birstall. That is part of her legacy

On Thursday last week, I remembered to check the postage on the card I was sending to my dad for Father’s Day. It takes just a few minutes to walk from my church, St Patrick’s Catholic Church, in Birstall, to the local post office. I got there at about 1.25 p.m. There were a couple of people leaving as I arrived but, unusually, no other customers when I went inside.

The three staff were talking quietly among themselves, and it dawned on me that something terrible had happened. One of them explained that she had just arrived back from her lunch break. She had been near the public library and had seen a man attack a woman, then take out a gun and shoot her.

The post office staff were shocked and so was I, shaken by the horrible news. Later, it emerged that the victim was Jo Cox (pictured right), the local MP. I didn’t know Jo, except by reputation as a new MP who cared about her constituents. I went on to learn about her work with Oxfam and about her concern for refugees. At a time when politicians seem often to be held in low regard, here was one who wanted to serve the people who had elected her.