Cox was educated at a state school and the London School of Economics after which, according to his entry in Who's Who, he became an "electrical worker".
kˈɑːks wʌz ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æɾə stˈeɪt skˈuːl ænd ðə lˈʌndən skˈuːl ʌv ˌiːkənˈɑːmɪks ˈæftɚ wˈɪtʃ, ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə hɪz ˈɛntɹi ɪn hˌuːz hˈuː, hiː bɪkˈeɪm æn "ᵻlˈɛktɹɪkəl wˈɜːkɚ".