THE family of murdered MP Jo Cox have vowed to support her widower after he quit two charities over past allegations of sexual assault.

Brendan Cox resigned from posts at More in Common and the Jo Cox Foundation after accusations made by a former colleague while they both worked at charity Save the Children in 2015 came to light.

Months later, it is alleged he forced himself on a woman during a trip to Harvard University in the US.

Mr Cox said the allegations against him were a “massive exaggeration,” but apologised for his “inappropriate” behaviour.

Details of his alleged behaviour at Save the Children comes as charities face intense scrutiny about their handling of sexual exploitation claims.

Ms Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was murdered in her constituency by fascist Britain First supporter Thomas Mair in June 2016.

In a statement, Ms Cox’s sister Kim Leadbeater said: “This is another very difficult day for our family. The last 20 months have been a constant roller coaster of emotions which we are still dealing with on a daily basis.

“My priority is and always will be looking after Jo and Brendan's children and supporting my parents, who have already been through so much.

“As a family we will support Brendan as he endeavours to do the right thing by admitting mistakes he may have made in the past, and we respect him for doing so.

“We all make mistakes. Brendan is a wonderful father and I have no doubt about the happiness he brought to Jo.”