11. Short Debate: Action for Kinder Politics: A route-map for creating kinder communities across Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:32 pm on 3 July 2019.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 6:32, 3 July 2019

Can I thank my colleague Jack Sargeant for giving me a minute of his time? I too read through the Carnegie report, and was very pleased, actually, to see that Wales is a kinder place, perhaps, than many of us sometimes think. We know and see acts of kindness and civility in our own communities, but very often, we think that it's just confined to our own immediate area, and that's clearly not the case, given the findings in that particular report. And I think it is incumbent upon us as elected representatives and local leaders in our community to try to model kindness to others. We don't always get it right; disagreeing well is sometimes difficult, particularly in politics. And you're quite right to draw attention to the vilification, sometimes, of people with different beliefs—whether that's political or religious beliefs, actually—in things like social media. I know that, as a Conservative, I sometimes get grief in an unkind way on social media, and also as a Christian; sometimes, I get unkind words said towards me, and a caricature painted of the sort of Christian that people assume that I might be. But I do think that all of us need to work together in this Chamber. I'm delighted to extend my support for your campaign, Jack, and I know that my colleagues on the Conservative benches—you have their support too in trying to make this Chamber a model of the sort of kindness that we want to see across Wales, in each of our communities. And I commend you for bringing this forward today.