Come together
Looking for some points of unity in troubled times
The Labour benches of the House of Commons were a sea of white roses, worn by MPs in memory of their colleague Jo Cox, murdered 10 years ago. It took a moment to realise that the two teenagers sat with their father in the gallery watching proceedings were her children. It was a quietly moving sight.
The slogan Cox’s family took up after her death was that we have “more in common” as a nation than divides us. It was always an unusual sentiment for a politician. The standard approach of the trade is to try to establish splits: between parties, within parties, and among voters. And it’s an idea that’s been tested pretty hard over the decade, that indeed quite a few people are busy testing even as you read this.
But let’s try to find some things we can, as a nation, agree on.
There are places in Britain that are north of Manchester, Andy.