With the news of Oscar's passing yesterday, my love is with his wife, Firdaus; Natasha, his daughter; all his extended family and friends; his friends in the Conservative group and all other friends. 

I met Oscar and Natasha in 2011, and we saw each other on several occasions prior to my election in 2016. Oscar immediately congratulated me, warmly welcomed me to the Senedd, reaching out the hand of friendship, as he did to all he met. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we would often meet in the tea room, and it became a routine for us to buy each other lunch and sit together having tea. We talked about our families and he was immensely proud of his daughter, Natasha. A proud family man.

We soon discovered that we both liked visiting market stalls, looking for second-hand jewellery, trinkets and antiques. And when either of us had a good deal, we brought items in to compare, and he loved a bargain, as did I. If we fancied an item that the other had, we sold it to one another. On one occasion, such was Oscar's honesty and integrity, when a stall holder offered him a weighty silver trinket for £30, Oscar immediately inspected the hallmark and, to the surprise of the stall holder, he said, 'My friend, I would love to give you £30 for this, but I think the correct price should be £200, as it's platinum, not silver.' He brought that trinket proudly in to show me and explained the story.

Oscar served his constituents with the love, compassion and generosity that he showed to everyone he met. He was dedicated to his role, and found much comfort and support from his Conservative colleagues, as he told me on several occasions.

I have lost a friend in the tea room and, somehow, it will not have the same feeling. We had planned to visit Abergavenny market together, and I am sad that that visit will now be alone. But I'm sure that if I stop at a stall, with a view of purchasing anything there, there will be a voice behind me saying, 'No, Caroline, don't pick that one, pick the one next to it, because you'll have a much better deal.' 

Rest in peace, my friend, because you made so many lives better for knowing you. Division was not in your vocabulary and you treated all the same. Thank you.