Jo Cox Civility Commission

Lord Smith of Finsbury Excerpts

Thursday 18th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab)]

My Lords, Jo Cox was a dear friend, and it is so hard to realise that 10 years have passed since her tragic murder. I thank my noble friend Lady Royall for tabling the Motion for this important debate and for her continuing brilliant work chairing the Jo Cox Foundation. We commemorate Jo’s memory best by holding fast to what she said in her maiden speech in the House of Commons, which every single speaker so far has quoted; namely, that

“we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”.—[Official Report, Commons, 3/6/15; cols. 675-76.]

We need surely to relearn that lesson now more than ever.

The Civility Commission and the Jo Cox Foundation help us to do so. Their focus is particularly on the abuse and violence directed at elected representatives. They are about promoting a respectful and inclusive politics. We need only to think of Jo Cox herself, David Amess, Stephen Timms, and the levels of abuse directed at many other politicians, at both national and local level, especially abuse directed towards women representatives and towards political representatives of colour. This can never be right. Respectful disagreement is what democracy and democratic politics ought to be all about, but it goes further than this.

All too often at the moment, the response of some voters and some political figures to issues and challenges is to resort to hatred and violence. The scenes we saw in Southampton and elsewhere in the aftermath of the tragic death of Henry Nowak and what happened in Belfast following the assault on Stephen Ogilvie are obvious recent examples. What happened to Henry Nowak and Stephen Ogilvie was, of course, unimaginably awful, but there are some political figures in our country who will turn tragedy into a political opportunity for rage and hatred and violence.

Such a response, however, diminishes them, undermines our community and society, and does huge damage to our country. It stems ultimately from fear of difference, fear of otherness and the prejudice that follows from that. It is what gave us, nearly 40 years ago, the wretchedness of Section 28. It is what has fuelled much of the rise of the far right around the world. It is what leads to manufactured, whipped-up protests about migrants and asylum seekers. There are, of course, good and bad migrants; there are good and bad members of society more generally. But manufactured outrage is primarily something fostered by bad actors.

Let us instead listen to the families of Henry Nowak and Stephen Ogilvie, who have bravely asked us all not to turn the tragedies that have affected them into weaponised division and violence. Let us listen to the wise words of Jo Cox, reminding us that we have so much in common. Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of our communities. Let us hold fast to the idea that we make progress only when we unite, when we do things together, when we do not foster division and hatred. Let us do better.