When I arrive in Kim Leadbeater's office, she is - as ever - fizzing with energy. The Spen Valley Labour MP has just treated her staff to fish and chips, and her desk is overflowing with paperwork. And yet Kim describes her parliamentary role as a "job I didn't want".
Her sister Jo Cox was murdered outside her constituency surgery in Birstall 10 years ago today, in the run-up to the EU referendum. It was a horrific attack which shocked the nation and the world. A few years later when the seat of Batley and Spen became available, Kim remembered her big sister's words "politics needs good people to stand up" and felt compelled to keep her legacy alive.
“Kim Leadbeater warns against extremism as she marks 10 years since Jo Cox's murder.”
The day Jo was murdered began in a "normal" way for Kim, although she remembers it in a bit of a "fog". She had taken her car in for an MOT, before heading out for a run. "I got the phone call to say what happened and I don't remember a great deal after that, other than I started shaking," Kim says. "If I'm quite honest probably the next six months, maybe 12 months, after that is something of a blur because I went into autopilot. I knew I had to look after my mum and dad. I knew I had to be strong for Jo's children and for the whole family. And I knew because of the public nature of Jo's murder, there was a huge amount of coverage of that. I also think that's a way of coping because your brain's very clever and it shuts things down. And I've never really dealt with a lot of that. I've just kind of gone at 100 miles an hour since, trying to do good things and create a positive legacy for Jo."
At the time it felt like Jo's constituents in Birstall and Batley put their arms around her family and shared in their grief. "In the face of the very worst of humanity was the very best of humanity and people locally, nationally and from around the world got in touch with us, shared their sympathy, shared their love and often told us stories about Jo," Kim says. "That was like a comfort blanket that kept us going and has kept us going for 10 years, and I'm sure my parents would say the same."
For people living and working in Birstall, it was a tragic event that will forever be remembered in the town. Ian Thompson worked at paints firm PPG and remembers the day because England were playing Wales in the Euros. "I finished work at 12 and we got told we had to stay behind because there's been a murder in Birstall and we all thought, 'what? Birstall?'" He made it to the pub to watch England and was shocked when the news emerged. "It was a sad day for the area, she is remembered fondly."
Now, as the 10th anniversary arrives, Kim Leadbeater has warned against people being pushed "towards the extremes". Reflecting on the decade since her sister's murder, she said: "I've just kind of gone at 100 miles an hour since, trying to do good things and create a positive legacy for Jo."