Division in UK probably worse now than in run-up to Brexit, says Kim Leadbeater

Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, warns that political division in the United Kingdom has intensified beyond levels seen during the 2016 Brexit referendum, when her sister Jo Cox was assassinated. Speaking to the Guardian's Today in Focus podcast ahead of the 10th anniversary of Cox's murder, Leadbeater stressed that hatred and polarization now pervade British public life more severely than in the divisive run-up to the Brexit vote.

Leadbeater, who won her sister's Yorkshire seat in a 2021 byelection, argues that politicians and public figures bear responsibility for reducing tension. She points to voices actively fanning hatred across the country as a persistent threat to civil discourse and democratic stability.

The comments arrive as Britain marks a decade since Cox's killing in 2016. The MP was murdered by Thomas Mair, a man with far-right extremist views, during the height of the Brexit campaign. Her death became a symbol of the dangers posed by inflammatory political rhetoric and the dehumanization of political opponents.

Leadbeater's assessment reflects broader concerns about the state of British politics. The country has experienced sustained tensions following the EU referendum, the subsequent negotiations over Britain's departure, and multiple waves of polarizing national debates. The rise of social media has amplified hostile exchanges between political camps, while traditional institutions struggle to maintain shared factual ground.

By claiming current division exceeds Brexit-era tensions, Leadbeater signals alarm about the trajectory of public discourse. She suggests that despite the dramatic consequences of 2016, efforts to cool political temperatures have failed to take root. Her call for responsibility from those in public life implicitly critiques politicians across parties for continuing to deploy divisive rhetoric and refusing to dial back inflammatory language.

The warning carries particular weight coming from Leadbeater herself, whose personal experience with political violence gives her testimony moral