As human beings we share a common bond, a desire to be loved, trusted, and wish to be treated with respect. Empathy is a key characteristic of leadership, and in politics compassion should be ever present in public discourse, debate and policy.

Tough on crime and tough on convicts, between 1997 and 2007 Tony Blair’s New Labour government introduced thousands of criminal justice offences and draconian powers of surveillance, prioritising punishment over rehabilitation whilst erasing the trust between the government and the governed.

Despite the motives of Northern Irish politicians, similar to Blair’s “law-making frenzy” certain legislation proposed and passed at Stormont have only cemented and exacerbated the distrust among the political parties that govern as well as the divided communities being governed.

In recent times, unionist politicians have sought to ban convicts from becoming special ministerial advisors and to prohibit attempts by nationalists and republicans to name public spaces or facilities after them; as with other aspects of Northern Ireland politics, a show of common sense, respect and love toward one another could have prevented such furore in the first instance.

Common sense, respect and love could also go much further than legislation in attempts at healing political and social wounds more generally; firefighting attempts at introducing the laws mentioned have not provided answers to society’s continuing problems, but have instead consolidated them.

A focus on rehabilitating our society as opposed to subjecting it to a vicious cycle of divisive policy and legal reprisals could prevent political fall-out at Council and Assembly level, and avert consequent scrambles and squabbles over outlawing similar episodes in future.

At every level of our politics there is a need to empathise with every constituent, to strongly consider the potential impact that one’s speech and actions could have upon all communities.

Political rhetoric, violent actions and events have divided society in Northern Ireland; leaders should lead by embodying the common values that bind us together. Legislation banning things can only go so far; ultimately it is society, it is leadership, respect for others and love for our localities that can help heal our wounds, not the statute book.