Jo Cox's husband condemns Boris Johnson's 'sloppy language' as he warns 'vitriol' is 'dangerous for our country'

The husband Jo Cox has said he doesn’t think Boris Johnson is “an evil man” over the Prime Minister's comments about the murdered MP and Brexit.

The PM was widely condemned last night when he said the best way to honour the memory of Jo Cox was to get Brexit done.

Brendan Cox told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that Ms Cox would have responded to the comments with “generosity”.

“I was thinking about how Jo would respond to it last night and I think she would have tried to bring a generosity of spirit to it....and step back from this inferno of rhetoric....what isn’t acceptable is to demonise each other and create this tribal identity,” he said.

“I’m sure on reflection, it’s something that he would probably wish he hadn’t said. I think it was sloppy language and the wrong thing to say, but I but I don’t think that he is an evil man.”

He added that “we should remember our common humanity" and "all of us on all sides of the political debate should take a deep breath and step back from this descent into polarisation.”

He has been praised on social media for his “reasonable” response to the comments.

Mrs Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist a week before the EU referendum. She had campaigned to Remain.

There was uproar in the Commons on Wednesday as the Prime Minister repeatedly berated MPs, rejected calls to temper his language and said the best way to honour Mrs Cox - an ardent Remainer - was to "get Brexit done".

Asked what he thought about the tone in the Commons, Mr Cox said: "I think I was shocked by it, it takes a fair amount to shock me now. I think I was genuinely shock by the willingness to descend to vitriol and the type of language that was used because I think it does long lasting harm.

He said while it had the potential to inflame the physical threat to MPs' safety, he thinks the bigger damage is to the political debate.

"To have this debate descend into this bear pit of polarisation I think is dangerous for our country," he said.

"I think this is something that's really important that there is a willingness to jump out and decry the other side when they use language like 'surrender' or 'traitor' or 'betrayal' and I think that is inflammatory language but I think as inflammatory is those people who have used the language of it being a 'coup' and a 'dictatorship' and 'fascism'.

"Its not just bad behaviour by one side of the debate, this is something that has infected our politics and its this vicious cycle where language gets more extreme."

"You can disagree passionately with people. But you don’t have to impugn their motives, whether you are a hard Brexiteer or a hard remainer, actually, what you have in common is a desire to do what you think is best for the country.

"What isn’t acceptable is to demonize each other to build a culture of hatred to the other to create this tribal identity. Whatever happens with Brexit, the country is going to have to come together again. And we have to remember that, otherwise, we’ll be building a toxic legacy."

Addressing that Ms Cox had been brought up in the Commons he said: "I think what isn't legitimate is to co-opt her memory or beliefs for things that she didn't believe in or didn't say."

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nicky Morgan appeared to acknowledge concerns about Mr Johnson's use of language, particularly in the context of threats of violence against politicians.

"But at a time of strong feelings we all need to remind ourselves of the effect of everything we say on those watching us," she tweeted.

Tracey Brabin, who succeeded Mrs Cox as MP for Batley and Spen following her 2016 murder, said Mr Johnson needed to remember "his words have consequences".

"He just proved that he has no emotional intelligence because then to say that the best thing we can do to remember Jo is 'to get Brexit done' when Jo was a passionate Remainer - only the day before her tragic murder she was on the Thames with her family campaigning to stay in the EU - it just seemed extraordinary," Ms Brabin told BBC's Radio 5.

Jo Cox’s sister, Kim Leadbeater, told Sky News: “I watched parliament TV for four hours last night and I was mesmerised and dumbstruck by the scenes that I saw before me.

“I think the Prime Minister needs to think very carefully about the language he uses.

“I think everybody has to think really carefully about the language they use.”

Ms Leadbeater added: “I’m hoping, from some of the conversations that are taking place this morning, that things will be slightly calmer going forward in the coming days and the coming weeks.

“But I’m very clear that we all have a responsibility to think about the language we use, the way we treat each other and the way we speak to each other on a human level.

“But I’m also very clear that the last thing I want, and the last thing Jo would want, is for her name to be used in way that silences debate.”