Yesterday, I had the opportunity to read through some of these ideas on the board in the Oriel and I stress that many people across this Chamber should go and have a look for themselves, because I wasn't surprised to see that so many children and young people refer to the need for better mental health services and to ensure that we end bullying in schools. This, of course, will take time, but with the right leadership we can ensure that, within our own political parties, we lead the way to end bullying within our ranks. I firmly believe that leadership is about listening, and for my party, it's about listening to the people of Wales and reaching out to our new members and those current members, and supporters of this Assembly and the Welsh Government. It's about involving people in our debates on policy and decision making. 

The public look to all our political parties, often without much trust, to lead by example, but they also look at us as individuals to act, and it's just not good enough to notice the need for kindness in our political opponents; we also have to look at ourselves. For democracy to be effective, parties, at the very least, have to function. Implosion and infighting attitudes are all impacts that parties across the board have, and ultimately, the current tribal nature of UK politics runs the risk of all MPs and AMs no longer being able to unite those people at the furthest end of society.

The job of Government is to take the anger and frustration that so many groups across the UK and across Wales are feeling about their future and turn that anger and frustration into action and success. Governance is about healing those divisions and unifying the very best of all these ideals, not just the mainstream ones, but all those that stir the most emotions. We know that from our political division there has been an increase in hate crime, and the harsh reality is that race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability status and all related categories all continue to determine the life chances and well-being of people in Britain in ways that are totally unacceptable.

Now, some will argue whether a kinder politics is possible at all, but a kinder politics is only possible if more of those who will benefit can vote, for example. Politics should be the space where the battle of ideas allows our dialects between different political positions, and we've seen, in past years, the rise of identity politics as a simplistic answer to complex problems, but there is more to offer and it is important to start crafting new and competing political projects. A return to kinder politics means also the possibility to offer more viable policy alternatives for the people to choose from, rooted in fairness and social and factual analysis. A route to kinder politics also means tearing down the echo of the chambers and the disconnect between the public and elected Members. And, what happens on both sides of the Chamber and all sides of the Chamber, be it in the media, in Parliament and the Assembly and in public forums, is the creation of echo chambers, and we no longer see the exchange of proper ideas, but rather, a solidification of one's ready-formed mindset—the bubble mindset. One consequence of this is that extremist positions can thrive more easily than they used to. Personal interaction has now become virtual and that has allowed the radicalisation and the risk of radicalisation in a tone of discourse, with the news and debates on social networks being turned nasty.

For politics to work at its best it also needs compromise, and compromise is a form of kindness. It is about respecting others to genuinely take their views on board. Sometimes in politics we agree to things that don't necessarily benefit us, but because it is the right thing to do, and in such circumstances, it is an unkind thing to try and reframe or redefine that compromise. It appears that some, including the powerful in our economy across the UK and in political life, cannot imagine that kindness works as a political strategy. Many see kindness as a weakness. It is a character trait avoided and mocked. Well, I do not agree with that, and I will not give in to those who suggest that a change in culture, a kinder politics and a kindness in life isn't possible. Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer.