Just over a year ago Jo Cox MP was murdered in her constituency. She was going about her business serving her constituents. She wasn’t just a politician – she was a wife and a mother of two young children. Unlike Stephen Doughty I didn’t know her but I do remember the feeling of shock and vulnerability. I am still impressed by the remarkable strength of character that her widower Brendan has shown in promoting their values and the Great Get Together weekend as part of the wider More in Common movement.

The last year seen far too much of Wales and Britain country become more divided, less kind and less tolerant. This is much more than EU nationals not feeling welcome any more. It affects a wide range of our constituents fearful for their sense of place and belonging because of the comments and behaviour that they have experienced. Yet the tragic events of last year and recent months haven’t only shown the most ugly sides of humanity. Some have tried to exploit terror events to drive further division and hate. However the great majority of the public response has drawn people together.

The response of emergency services and those members of the public who ran towards danger to help their fellow citizens is universally recognised. It’s much more than the immediate response that gives me hope for our future though. The continuing generosity in wanting to help practically – whether we knew people involved or not – speaks very clearly about the sort of communities that we live in.

Our normal everyday life should give us hope too. A recent Father’s Day outing on Barry Island beach saw my son playing with children from Barry, Penarth and Eastern Europe. You wouldn’t know and wouldn’t care where each person came from. Our challenge remains whether we are prepared to behave the same way in the rest of our lives and not simply on a day out.

I’m a natural optimist but I’m not blind to the challenges that we face. Inequality and poverty are far too prevalent. Too many families struggle to get by let alone to get on. Too many people feel that public life and politics is meaningless for them. Part of the great privilege of being in public life is the opportunity to represent people and to positively change the way that we live together.

On the Great Get Together weekend we had a surprise knock at the door. I took a welcome break from blowing up the paddling pool. It wasn’t a parcel it was a young person from a nearby street who had baked cookies [good ones too] with a message about Jo Cox. She wasn’t doing it for praise or self interest. We really do have more in common – if we choose to see it.