Every time my constituents speak to me about what matters most to them, they talk about their children. They ask whether they will be able to buy a house with the pressures they are facing as a family. Essentially, what they are asking is whether tomorrow can be better than today. Every one of those conversations leaves me with the same thought. People are looking for hope. They are looking for leadership. Politics asks us to solve today's problems but leadership asks us to prepare for tomorrow. Constitutional change is a democratic opportunity of the Good Friday Agreement and the Government has a duty to prepare responsibly, openly and inclusively. That means publishing a Green Paper, convening a citizens' assembly and listening to communities across the island and giving everyone the opportunity to be part of those conversations. The Good Friday Agreement did not ask anyone to abandon their beliefs or aspirations. All of us accepted that our future will be decided through consent, dialogue and democracy. That is one of the greatest achievements of the agreement and this Bill is firmly rooted in those principles, that no one should be asked to leave their identity at the door. Every generation inherits an Ireland shaped by those who came before. My grandparents inherited a divided Ireland. My mother's generation lived through conflict. One of my first ever votes was in favour of the Good Friday Agreement. Today, another responsibility lies with us, not to decide the outcomes of future referendums but to ensure people are ready for when that question is asked of them. That is not radical; that is good governance. One day if my grandson asks me, as we, as a generation, had the chance to prepare for tomorrow, whether we had the courage to seize the opportunity, I want my answer to be "Yes", that we did not wait and that we did not hesitate because I want the Ireland that he and every child inherits to be determined by what we do today. We have the opportunity to take such a step forward. Let us be the ones who move forward with courage to prepare. Let us be the ones who choose action over hesitation. Let us be the ones who believed Ireland's future was worth preparing for and that we chose to do it in hope and leadership and we built it together one decision at a time.

Sentiment score: 0.32