Funeral being held for slain UK lawmaker Jo Cox

LONDON – Crowds of people have lined the streets of several towns in northern England to pay tribute to slain British lawmaker Jo Cox as her funeral cortege goes by.

A private funeral is being held for the Labour Party legislator who was shot and stabbed to death outside a library in Birstall, 200 miles (320 kilometres), north of London on June 16.

Many threw flowers in the path of her funeral cortege on Friday. The funeral service will be private at the family’s request.

Suspect Thomas Mair’s murder trial begins in November.

Commentators have blamed the killing of Cox — who had backed Britain to remain in the EU — in part on the angry mood whipped up by the rhetoric of some in the “leave” camp.