9. 9. Short Debate: Should I stay or should I go? What factors have influenced public opinion over the EU referendum campaign?

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:32 pm on 22 June 2016.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 6:32, 22 June 2016

I thank Julie Morgan, first, for bringing this debate and, secondly, for giving me one minute, which I shall try and stick to. I, like all the colleagues here, present now, want to pay tribute to Jo Cox. We are all stunned by what happened, but we are also, I hope, inspired by what she left behind, and want to pick up what she believed in and what she, hopefully, has left behind as a marker, as a catalyst for change in political discourse, going forward.

There is no doubt that the political discourse hasn’t been very helpful in this referendum campaign, but there has been a change. The sadness is that it took somebody’s death for that change to happen. I believe—and I’m sure everybody else does here—that what we need to do, whatever the result tomorrow, is move forward in celebrating the diversity that the different cultures and individuals bring to our society. We must make a promise here, today, on what would’ve been Jo’s birthday, to never promote division and fear, but to unite together to move forward in hope and love.