Meeting of the Parliament 16 June 2026 [Draft]
I am pleased to speak in today’s debate and I thank Jenny Young for bringing it to the chamber. It is a privilege to follow on from some fantastic speeches in the Parliament.
It is fitting that we are holding this debate in memory of Jo Cox so early in the parliamentary session. As many people have said, with so many new MSPs, we have a rare opportunity to change the tone of how we do politics, both in this chamber and in Scottish politics as a whole. The anniversary of Jo Cox’s tragic death a decade ago provides a sobering reminder of how important it is that each of us holds ourselves to the highest standards and follows her example of service, compassion and unity.
In the days after Jo was killed, as more people learned about who she was and what she stood for, I remember that a friend told me that she had spent a long time looking for a political figure she could look up to and hope to emulate, and that she had finally found one. Her only regret was that she had not had the chance to follow Jo’s work when she was alive. However, we can all follow her example. We should also support the work of the Jo Cox Foundation, particularly its efforts to encourage more women to participate in public life.
If you engage in politics solely through social media, you could be forgiven for thinking that public life and politics are defined entirely by toxicity. I am happy to report that, when you get out and meet real people, that is not often the case. When you knock on doors, although people may not agree with you or may not like your political party, and although they may even be a bit—or more than—sceptical of politicians in general, most people engage respectfully. That has certainly been my experience, and I sincerely hope that it has been the experience of members across the chamber.
However, we all know that there are dark corners of social media where the opposite is true: places where hatred and abuse are directed at political representatives, candidates and campaigners, particularly women and those from minority backgrounds. Misogynistic abuse and threats of safety were among the top reasons that female MSPs cited for standing down before May’s election. That is deeply damaging to the health of our democracy, and it is easy to see why it has become increasingly difficult to encourage good people to get involved in politics.
I believe passionately in the right of everyone to express their views freely, robustly and with vigour, but that gives nobody the right to be abusive or threatening. Nor do I believe that those same rights extend to enormous social media companies. Too often, they have failed to tackle deeply toxic content and, in some cases, they seem to reward and amplify exactly the sort of behaviour that poisons public debate and that can lead to violence. In reflecting on Jo Cox’s legacy today, we should also consider how those very powerful organisations can be properly held to account.
I applaud the work of the Jo Cox Foundation in tackling loneliness, which remains a great epidemic in our society. Its great get together initiative, as Jenny Young mentioned, recognises the immense power of simply spending time together in healing divisions and helping people to feel less alone. That message feels every bit as relevant today as it did when Jo championed it.
I will do my very best to follow that example in my own work as an MSP and in the communities that I feel privileged to represent. I believe, as others have said, that the best tribute that we can pay to Jo Cox is not simply to remember her words but to reflect them in how we conduct ourselves in the Parliament and in our roles in public life over the years ahead.