Keir Starmer’s glitter jacket raises £2,700 for The Jo Cox Foundation at auction

Keir Starmer MP handing over the framed jacket and holding the Jo Cox Civility Commission report

Keir Starmer MP wearing the jacket at Labour conference after the protest (Credit: Gus Campbell Photography)

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The jacket, which was covered in glitter by a protester during Starmer’s leader’s speech at Labour conference, was auctioned yesterday evening (Wednesday 22 May) at a fundraising event organised by Labour Women’s Network, with the full proceeds from the jacket going to The Jo Cox Foundation.

The auction took place just hours after the announcement that the upcoming General Election will take place on 4 July, beginning what is anticipated to be an intense campaign period.

Earlier this year, the Labour Party leader’s team offered the glitter-covered jacket so that it could raise money and awareness for The Jo Cox Foundation, whose work includes tackling abuse and intimidation in politics. In January, the Foundation launched the findings of the Jo Cox Civility Commission, which includes 28 recommendations that would make life safer for all elected politicians. One recommendation that has already been adopted and will make a difference ahead of the General Election is that any costs associated with candidate safety are now exempted from election spending limits, ensuring that those limits don’t act as a barrier to adequate security.

Though no harm was caused through the protest at the Labour conference, the ease at which the protester was able to get to Starmer was a stark reminder of the security risks faced by elected representatives.

Speaking to the BBC last year, the protestor himself apologised for touching the Labour leader and said: “Politicians get a lot of death threats and they have a need to feel safe and I compromised that in that moment by touching him.”

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Chair of The Jo Cox Foundation and Former Home Secretary, acted as auctioneer on the night and said:

“The protest during Keir Starmer’s conference speech was a moment that reminded us all of the threats to MPs’ safety. At The Jo Cox Foundation, we seek to end the abuse and intimation that discourages so many from entering political life and the £2,700 that the jacket fetched at auction will support us to do just that.”

Next month will mark eight years since Jo Cox was murdered on 16 June 2016 while on her way to a constituency surgery in Batley and Spen during the Brexit referendum campaign. This June also marks what would have been Jo Cox’s 50th birthday on 22 June, coinciding with the Great Get Together weekend (21-23 June), in which events across the UK will celebrate everything that unites our communities, inspired by her ‘more in common’ message.