Seeing as everybody else is also talking about their online experiences, I’ll just say a little bit about mine. I have certainly been trolled by far-right extremist organisations for doing little more than supporting an event that I attended in the Senedd on Wales as a nation of sanctuary. I think Leanne Wood was trolled by the same organisations for attending the same event, and we were accused of trying to create a Muslim caliphate in Wales, when really what we were trying to do was offer sanctuary for Syrian refugees trying to escape the horrors of that civil war.

In debating this important issue of tackling hate crime, I would like to take the opportunity to highlight the work of organisations like Show Racism the Red Card, and ask that this Friday 20 October we all support Wear Red Day 2017. That will certainly give me an excuse to get into my favourite colour, both in terms of my politics and my football team, so I shall be wearing red on Friday. But, on a serious note, Wear Red Day is a practical and visible way that we can all show our support for the work of Show Racism the Red Card and to support their valuable work in helping to promote equality and in tackling hate crime in our communities. Those of us who follow football will recall the unhealthy culture on the terraces in the 1970s and 1980s—the blatant racism, the outrageous chanting aimed at black footballers, and the football grounds being used as a recruiting agent for the far right. Since those dark days, it’s clear that a lot of work has been done to move things on and tackle that side of football, but there’s still a huge amount of work still to do.

In my previous role in Unison, I was certainly very proud to be part of the arrangements for establishing Show Racism the Red Card in Wales. I’d like to place on record my thanks to Unison for their vital funding of that organisation in those early, important days. As a result, we now have the benefit of an organisation that’s built a great reputation for promoting positive messages through the production of educational resources, developing activities to encourage people, particularly young people, to challenge racism, and in challenging racism in football and other sports. I would encourage all Assembly colleagues to get in touch with Show Racism the Red Card and take the opportunity to see their work in action across Wales, in schools, in sports clubs, and in the community. Because such grass-roots activity is absolutely vital in changing attitudes, providing positive role models, and in building those early interventions that will help to develop more tolerance and equality in our communities.

And it’s this type of work—changing attitudes and providing positive role models—that will also be central to tackling homophobia in sport, but most particularly in football. Removing hatred towards the LGBT community is the next big challenge. And, once again, as a football supporter, I will know that we’ve made progress in tackling homophobia when football players are comfortable with their own sexuality in sport and are out and proud and not afraid. So, I’m sure that the Assembly will wish to encourage Show Racism the Red Card as one part of the tackling hate crime agenda in Wales, but we should also continue to support Stonewall Cymru and others as we help to rid our communities of hatred, racism and homophobia.

All the work that we support to prevent the hate crimes in our communities is important, and we should focus efforts on those organisations and initiatives that help to prevent the risks. That is why the work that the Welsh Government is doing in this area is to be so warmly welcomed. Thank you.