Oral Answers to Questions

Debbie Abrahams Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I attended the AI summit in India, and right across the world all countries and many companies—certainly tech companies—are at the forefront of this opportunity. We have to get the governance right, and of course we have to test and re-test to ensure safety. Anything on our roads would of course be tested and licensed by the Department for Transport. I do not think we can stand in the face of innovation.

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

Q5. I associate myself with the remarks of the Deputy Prime Minister, and congratulate my constituent Sir Kevin Sinfield on all the work he does.Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the murder of our dear friend Jo Cox. As well as being a sister to our wonderful hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater), she was a wife, daughter and mother, and we must not forget that. Jo’s mantra was always that we have“more in common than that which divides us.”—[Official Report, 3 June 2015; Vol. 596, c. 675.]Will my right hon. Friend indicate what he thinks he should do, and in fact what we should all do, so that Jo’s beliefs and her legacy are always remembered?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am so grateful to my hon. Friend. We all miss Jo—a dear friend and a valued colleague. Three years ago, I had the great privilege of opening the Jo Cox More in Common centre in Huddersfield alongside Jo’s sister, my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater), and her parents Jean and Gordon. It was one of the great honours of my life. We all have a duty to live up to the values that Jo stood for. She was a trailblazing campaigner against loneliness and inspired the Great Get Together taking place this weekend. In the words of the Jo Cox Foundation, holding or attending a Great Get Together

“in your local area is a simple but powerful way to honour Jo’s legacy”—

neighbours coming together, differences set aside and communities choosing unity over division, because that is what Jo stood for.