Promoting a Kinder Politics

Part of 2. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 15 January 2019.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 3:05, 15 January 2019

Llywydd, I absolutely agree that it is the job of us all to do what we can to promote the sort of kinder, more respectful politics that Jack Sargeant has spoken about this afternoon and, of course, has promoted during the whole time that he has been an Assembly Member. I was able to be in the Chamber during the first short debate that Jack held on a kinder politics here in Wales and, indeed, in the very sad context of today, I revisited that debate over the weekend and read again the contributions that Jack made, primarily, but there were contributions from across the Chamber. Julie Morgan spoke about the importance of a politics that has passion without poison. Adam Price drew attention to the work of that great black gay American novelist James Baldwin, and what we can learn from his experience. And Darren Millar said in his contribution that, challenging as it can be in the cut and thrust of debate here in the Assembly, our ambition as Assembly Members should be to be people who disagree well. And in the context of today, I think that ambition that we should be people who disagree when we do, but we do it in that spirit, is a good thought to leave with us this afternoon.