The Houses of Commons and Lords paid moving tributes to Jo Cox MP who was killed in her constituency last week.

The referendum debate resumed on Monday after both sides suspended their campaigns last week. MPs returned to the House of Commons for a one-off session to remember the Labour MP. An emotional Speaker John Bercow led the tributes as he described her "outstanding qualities...she was caring, eloquent, principled and wise".

Politicians on both sides of the House lauded Cox as a friend and a colleague and many quoted from her maiden speech: "What surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us."

Evangelical Christian Tim Farron said MPs were "united" and they mourned an "enormous figure in this House". All the MPs wore a white rose in memory of Cox, described as a "Yorkshire lass" and Farron joked that he legacy of bridge building he, as a Lancastrian, joined the wearing of the Yorkshire rose.

He added: "The snatching away of a wife and a mother, hugely loving and hugely loved, is what has moved Britain to stand in collective grief this last few days."

Members of both houses then walked over St Margeret's Church, in the grounds of Westminster Abbey, for a memorial service.

Commons chaplain Rose Hudson-Wilkin led the service with Canon Andrew Tremlett. He said in his address: "As people of good faith, of unshakeable determination, and unswerving commitment to serve the people of this United Kingdom, we come here to offer our prayers and petitions, the pain of our hearts, and the cries of our souls, as we remember and pray for Jo Cox, Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen, for Brendan, and for their children.

A far-right anti-immigration party will be the only party to contest the by-election for her seat of Batley and Spen. Jack Buckby, an ex-BNP member will stand for Liberty GB, a fringe party which wants to fight "the Islamisation of Britain".

The leader of the party, Paul Weston, claimed Jo Cox was "more interested in solidarity with Palestinian people than gang rape" of girls in her area.

Labour's shadow home office minister blasted the decision as "obscene, outrageous and comtemptible".

Jack Dromey told the Mirror: "The immorality of the far right knows no bounds. Britain will be shocked and they will be roundly rejected in the by-election".